Chris Cadden believes the current positive vibe at Hibernian can help them cause an upset against Rangers at Easter Road on Wednesday.
There was a sense of doom and gloom around Lee Johnson’s side in early January after a poor run of results towards the end of 2022.
But the Hibees have climbed to fourth in the cinch Premiership with a seven-game unbeaten run in the league ahead of their showdown with the Gers.
“There’s a good connection with the supporters at the moment,” said Cadden. “You could see the support on Saturday and it was brilliant to see how many of them travelled through (to Livingston).
“It’s a really good place just now and we’ve got to build on that. Easter Road can be a tough place (for opponents) to play when our fans are up for it and get behind us.
“I’ve played here as an opposition player and to come to Easter Road when the fans are up for it, it’s a tough place to play. We’ve got to use that.
“In terms of the way the team’s going, it’s probably the best it’s been since I’ve been here. There’s a real unity in the squad.
“I think with the January we had, with all the outgoings, it’s brought the squad closer together. There’s a real good group of guys here. The dressing room is in a great place so we’ve just got to keep that going.”
Hibs endured a dismal run of nine defeats in 11 matches which saw boss Johnson come under pressure, but Cadden was always confident they could find some form.
“We were on a tough run before Christmas but we’ve turned that round,” he said. “When you get out of a tough run and get on a good one, you’ve got to enjoy it and use everything you can to keep the momentum going because football’s tough.
“It was tough a few months ago and people didn’t really give us any hope but I always had that belief that we would turn it around. We’re doing that now.
“When you’re on a good run, you’ve got to take confidence and momentum from that but we know whatever we’ve done before doesn’t guarantee us anything on Wednesday.
“We’ve still got to focus on what we’ve been doing well and also take on board things we can do better. We’re not the complete team yet. We’ve still got to get better.”
The buoyant mood at Hibs was highlighted by a video doing the rounds on social media of the travelling support singing “watching Chrissy Cadden putting on a show” at Livingston on Saturday, with one fan in particular catching the eye as he danced enthusiastically to the beat of the tune.
“I must have watched that video 100 times,” Cadden smiled. “It’s amazing. Somebody said I should do the dance when I score but I’m not sure about that!”
