HIBS great Keith Wright today tipped Derek Riordan and Steven Fletcher to strike up a formidable partnership at club level and establish themselves as Scotland's first-choice forward pairing in years to come.
Easter Road boss Mixu Paatelainen swooped for self-confessed Hibs fan Riordan before the transfer window slammed shut on Monday night to end a nightmare two-year spell for the player at Celtic.
Riordan had been ostracised by Hoops boss Gordon St
rachan in recent times and was left to ply his trade in the reserves with it quickly made clear he didn't have a future in Glasgow.
His return to the Capital has delighted the Hibs support, who were becoming increasingly disillusioned at seeing a number of the club's highly rated stars leave for big transfer fees with little spent on replacing them.
But Wright believes it won't be just Hibs that benefit from Riordan playing regular first-team football again, but the national side as well.
Thus far Riordan has just a solitary cap to his name won in a friendly against Austria in Vienna back in 2005 while Fletcher, similarly, has made just one appearance after featuring in a 1-1 draw with Croatia at Hampden in March.
Fletcher hadn't yet fully established himself at Hibs when Riordan was last on the club's books and Wright insisted that the prospect of the duo linking up is a mouth watering one.
"I think those two can definitely go on and play up front for Scotland together," said Wright.
"They are a national partnership of the future and it's going to be great seeing them play together.
"I think Steven has grown up and got better while Derek has been away and hopefully Derek's arrival will take a wee bit of the pressure off the strikers at the club just now.
"Derek was never going to get picked for Scotland when he wasn't getting a game at Celtic but the chance is there for him now. If he can get a regular game and score goals in the SPL he'll be back in there.
"I've no doubt that he's as good as anything out there and hopefully when Fletcher and Riordan do turn out together for Scotland it'll be as Hibs players."
Riordan has been drafted into a Hibs team that has suffered a disappointing start to the campaign as they struggle to find the back of the net with any kind of regularity.
The Hibees have been creating opportunities but failing to put them away and Wright believes Paatelainen has secured the services of a natural finisher who can start capitalising on the club's dominance in games.
But, while Wright has no doubt that Riordan will prove just as big a success at the club as he did in his first spell there, he has warned supporters they will need to give him time to adjust to the rigours of regular football again.
"I used to love watching Derek playing for Hibs and I'm sure after the time he's had out the game he'll enjoy pulling on the jersey again," he said.
"He may not be match fit for two or three weeks so we shouldn't expect too much, too early. But in the long run he'll be a good signing. Last time round, he would maybe be quiet for half an hour and then there would be a couple of minutes of magic and the game was turned. He has the ability to score goals and that's what Hibs need.
"Derek's arrival had been rumoured for weeks and weeks but nobody really thought it would happen because of the wage structures at the club.
"But the club have pulled out all the stops to get him and they deserve credit for that. I think at the next home game there will be a huge crowd.
"I know the fans haven't been too happy with the start to the season but they have been creating chances and, given time, Derek is the sort of player who will take them.
"His signing is one that Hibs fans really wanted and now that it's happened I think the whole club will get a real lift."
The full article contains 706 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
