Frothing fans and marching into the lions’ den - Hibs star loves his derby days in Gorgie

Grown men “frothing at the mouth”, to use one of Joe Newell’s more colourful turns of phrase.

A week-long build-up that dominates every waking moment, with the upcoming excursion into “enemy territory” proving a constant preoccupation.

And, at the root of everything, a desire not just to win. But to dominate your local rivals.

Derby day? There’s nothing quite like it. As Newell attests.

The English midfielder, smiling frequently and bursting into laughter more than once as he looked ahead to another potential barn burner of a game in Gorgie, admitted: “You start thinking about it all week, to be honest. It’s impossible to not think about it.

“When you’re at home, then at training you’re obviously focused on the game, so it’s the whole week.

“When you get there on match day, I don’t know, you just feel like you’re going into the lions’ den, don’t you?

“You feel like you’re on enemy territory. And you try to thrive on that.

“Yeah, when you get there, you get a few shouts. And you get them when you’re playing, because Tynecastle is very enclosed.

“For the away side in a derby, it’s quite funny, I think. It’s quite good, isn’t it?

“You see men frothing at the mouth, abusing you. You could walk past them in the street - and they wouldn’t say a thing!

“But it’s a derby and that’s what everyone loves about it.”

Newell made his derby debut as a late sub on Boxing Day in 2019, when an unanswered Martin Boyle double saw Hibs record a rare Tynecastle victory – still their most recent away win in this fixture.

“I can’t remember much about it now,” he insisted, adding: “It was the Martin Boyle double game, wasn’t it?

“I probably thought it was going to happen every time – that it would be easy!

“I genuinely can’t remember much about it. But I hope it happens again.

“It’s been too long since we won there. We’ve had a couple of draws there, then they had their year in the Championship.

“Now we’re under a new regime, new management, we want to look at being dominant, definitely.”

Explaining how the fixture had grown on him, Newell added: “The more you play in, the better it becomes. And they come round often enough.

“It would mean a lot to win there. You get the bragging rights, initially, even if it’s only three points on offer.

“It’s no big deal in terms of our goals for the season but we want to win – and we expect to win.

“Our focus is on three points and getting the bragging rights.

“The lads are in a really good place, we’re five unbeaten, we’ve had a few good results, that new manager bounce, and everyone’s buying into it and happy and motivated and yeah, we’re feeling good.

“It’s a great game to look forward to, they’re the ones you want to play in, they’re the ones you remember, so hopefully we get it done."

Newell’s performances have been integral to enabling new boss Nick Montgomery to implement the changes needed following the departure of Lee Johnson.

The new head coach asks a lot of his two central midfielders, meaning Newell and Jimmy Jeggo have to cover a lot of ground, do a lot of dirty work – and remember to play football when they get the ball.

Montgomery specifically mentioned Newell in despatches recently, revealing that he’d singled out the 30-year-old – handed the captain’s armband while Paul Hanlon battled to get back into the starting XI – for a special chat, during which he’d asked for more. Of everything.

"It wasn’t asking me to do anything specific, it was just a chat not long after he was in the door,” said Newell, taking up the story.

“It was something I’m sure he did with a lot of the players. I’m not blowing smoke up my arse or anything, but he said to me: ‘I think you’re a good player, but I want more from you …’ like anyone would.

“He’s not going to tell me: ‘Yeah you’re doing really well, you can take your foot off the gas and just chill out!’

“He just said he wanted more from me, a little motivational, man-management thing. No big deal and I’m sure it was something he did with a lot of lads when he first came in.

"I’d say probably over the last season or two, I’ve been consistent. I’m injury-free, which always helps. I look after myself a lot better than I did when I was a kid.

“I’m just enjoying my life; I’m enjoying my football. I think my balance is good in life in general, and I’m playing well.

“Some people might be different but if I’m happy and got a good balance in life then yes, that’s the key for me.”

Newell will walk into Tynecastle tomorrow, smiling at the boos and catcalls guaranteed to greet him, knowing that Hearts will have expended a good deal of brainpower this week on working out how to prevent him from having an influence on the contest.

The best players, of course, know how to counter that. They find a way to escape the attention and play their own game. Leaving those opposition fans frothing like an out-of-control cappuccino steamer.