Simon Donnelly: Stubbs will handle whatever is thrown at him

Alan Stubbs will not crumble under the pressure of a Championship title chase because after twice beating cancer, nothing in football will faze him.

That’s the view of Dundee United assistant boss Simon Donnelly, who starred with Stubbs at Celtic for three years in the late 1990s.

He said: “Alan came through a serious health scare when he was a player at Celtic, and how he coped with that says everything about his character.

“It was a tough time for him, and it came as a shock to everyone who knew him. He handled it well. He just did what he had to do and got on with it.

“His dad was struggling with his health around that time as well, but he handled the situation. That’s the type of person Stubbsy is. If you can deal with something like that, then it’s character building.

“Life experiences help you and his football experience is vast as well. He’s played at big clubs like Everton, in Old Firm games and experienced life at a club like Celtic.

“He can handle the pressures of football and I think he’ll relish the Hibs job. He’s always someone I thought would go into management because he’s a leader.

“As soon as he finished playing, he was straight into working with the reserves at Everton along with Davie Weir.

“He’s a good guy, a very strong character and someone people look up to. He’s calm, he always spoke his mind in the dressing-room and he won’t let anyone step out of line.”

Terry Butcher’s straight-forward tactical approach while in charge at Easter Road didn’t appeal to supporters.

The appointment of another big ex-defender as boss has triggered fears amongst fans that Hibs will persist with an unattractive brand of football.

But Donnelly can’t see that happening under Stubbs, who he believes has always been a proponent of attractive passing football.

“Alan was a ball-playing centre-half and will get Hibs playing the right way, with the ball on the deck,” Donnelly explained.

“Hibs are a good club for him. It’s a tough job being in the Championship along with Hearts and Rangers. But the Hibs job is a good one because they’re what you could call a sleeping giant.

“He will look forward to the challenge of building a team there and trying to get them out of the Championship. It’s a big test and Stubbsy will relish the test. He won’t fear the size of the job.”