RUDI Skacel claimed last night that Hibs supporters, including “children and old ladies”, had branded him a “refugee” during Raith Rovers’ Ladbrokes Championship visit to Easter Road on Christmas Eve.

The 2012 Scottish Cup final – in which Skacel scored twice during a famous 5-1 win for Hearts against their Edinburgh rivals – still follows the Czech winger around.

While it has made him a folk hero among the Tynecastle support, in front of whom he will play possibly for the last time in Sunday’s Scottish Cup fourth round tie at Stark’s Park, he has become a pantomime villain for fans of the other capital outfit.

The player took umbrage about being criticised for holding up five fingers on one hand and one on the other when withdrawn from that match, considering he feels it was the Hibs supporters who crossed the line and should be embarrassed by their behaviour.

While the player who still lives in Edinburgh has never, “touch wood”, experienced any serious problems away from the field, fans have previously chanted a charming song in his direction which includes the words “Skacel is a f***** refugee”.

“I’m shocked that such a big deal was made about what I did,” said Skacel. “No-one cares how they treated me for 90 minutes out there. They called me names.

“The abuse is always bad [at Easter Road],” he added. “Children were saying it to me and even old ladies. I think it’s embarrassing. The kids repeat what they hear from the adults next to them.

“How would you react if people called you a refugee?” he added. “But I do a gesture and they react by criticising me and saying I should be banned from football. It is embarrassing for all of Hibs’ community, in my opinion. I understand why they don’t like me, but it should be more about banter. There needs to be a line, and I think in every game, they [Hibs fans] are crossing it.”

Now aged 37, Skacel isn’t a regular starter at Raith Rovers – and is already planning for life after football with a coaching school in Los Angeles. But even California isn’t far enough away for him to remain incognito when it comes to Hearts fans wanting a selfie with their 5-1 legend.

Whether he makes it on to the pitch on Saturday or not, he admits it will be strange.

“Will it be emotional for me?” said Skacel, a former Slavia Prague player. “It will be strange to play against MY Hearts, strange because it is 90 minutes playing against supporters who always got behind me. It’s a special game. But we are professionals, it’s a Scottish Cup tie and I want to do well, even though it’s against my former club.

“The 5-1 game was one of the games that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life,” he added. “You might have to wait another 100 years to see a Hearts-Hibs game like that. People remind me of that game all the time when I am in Edinburgh. But it’s happened all over the world.

“My girlfriend lived in LA for ten years and we go there on holiday a lot. A Hearts fan asked for a picture. I don’t mind that at all. Normally, they just want a picture and they want me to do the 5-1.”

Skacel thinks he “will finish at the end of the season, but you never know” but it would be a rum ending to his time in Scotland indeed if his last appearance in front of the fans who adore him was using that sweet left foot to send Ian Cathro’s side tumbling out of the cup.

He was playing at Mlada Boleslav back in his homeland when Hibs ended their 114-year wait to get their hands on the Scottish Cup.

“I don’t watch football much so I definitely didn’t see this one. Listen, they lost the big one.”