A PREMIER Sports Cup triumph would be special for all the Hibs players after bitter disappointment in both cup competitions last season. But for Kevin Nisbet it’d be his first taste of silverware as a pro.

The striker, 24, is yet to lift a trophy since signing terms with Partick Thistle back in 2014. That’s not to say he’s had any lack of highlights having played for Scotland at Euro 2020 this year. But a first trophy would be a major positive for Nisbet who offered a realistic take on cup final appearances ahead of this afternoon’s Hampden showdown against Celtic.

“For me personally, I’ve not won a trophy so it’d be my first bit of silverware”, explained Nisbet who insisted he’s fit despite a slight groin niggle in the midweek win over Dundee.

“In my professional career since I started at Thistle I’ve not really won anything. You look at like Harry Kane who has not won anything, so you never know when the next opportunity is going to come.

“When opportunities like today come you need to go and take it and start winning trophies because as a player you always want to win.

“I think, not just me, but the squad have been through a tough few times at Hampden, we’ve been close a  lot of times and times we probably should’ve won but we take responsibility for that as player and the only thing we can do is try and rectify it.

“We’ve continually kept getting in semi-finals and finals as a team which is great; now it’s just for us to get over the line and win a cup.

“You do all the hard work to get up to the final. It’d probably be the best way to win it, beating Rangers in the semi then Celtic in the final – beat the two best teams in the country so I think it’d be a lot more deserving.”

Last season saw Hibs make the semi-final of the competition before a 3-0 loss to St Johnstone in front of empty stands at the national stadium. Just four months later and the Hibees would again fall short against St Johnstone at Hampden in the Scottish Cup final.

Nisbet describes the emotions after the defeat as the “worst feeling in the world” but is confident he and his team-mates can put last season’s disappointment behind them and seize the opportunity this time round.

“I think how you feel after losing a cup final is the worst feeling in the world,” Nisbet groaned.

“As a player you never want to go through that again so every time you get to a final you never know it might be the only final you get to in the rest of your career so you need to go and take it.

“I think as a team we are in a very good mindset, Dave took over and has kept the confidence going for us. He’s probably a great guy to take us into the final and we just need to  put the disappointment behind us from previous semi-finals and finals and go and win it.”

Lifting the trophy come 4.45pm would top off a hectic calendar year for Nisbet after his Euro 2020 experience and an impressive start to life in the capital.

He said: “It’s mental, sometimes I think back and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. At Scotland we’re growing as a country we’re growing as a nation and we’re starting to get in positions where we can start qualifying for a lot more major tournaments and hopefully the World Cup is one of them as well.”