Matt Macey after leaving Arsenal – How is it going? | OneFootball

Matt Macey left Arsenal in January to sign for Hibs, so how has he been getting on?

After seven years with Arsenal, Matt Macey left the club for Scottish football at the start of January. He was six months from the end of his deal in North London.

As for what convinced him to make the move, Macey says conversations with Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney helped to make up his mind.

“I spoke to Kieran Tierney at length about the opportunity to come to Hibs, about Scottish football and the country in general,” Macey admitted. “Kieran was really positive about every aspect of it, whether it was the club or Edinburgh itself.

“As I said, I was already keen to come but it was good to hear him talk so enthusiastically about it all. He backed up the gut feeling I had.

“Kieran’s someone I have a lot of time for and he’s probably one of the first names on the team-sheet – if not the first – at Arsenal just now.”

Since moving north, Macey has played just two Scottish Premiership games, a 1-1 draw against Celtic and a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock. He has been on the bench for Hibs’ nine other league games.

Macey has, however, been their cup keeper, at least in the SFA Cup, starting all three games and helping them reach the semi-final after winning his first-ever professional penalty shootout (6:4 v Motherwell).

The 26-year-old was on the bench for Arsenal’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea last season, but he feels this would mean more to him were Hibs to go on and with the cup.

“It would mean so much more to win a Scottish Cup medal as a member of this team, a hundred per cent,” Macey said. “I got a medal from the FA Cup last year. I never actually played, but it’s special, obviously. But going all the way and winning this one would top it by a mile, absolutely.”

As for how it’s going for him in Scotland, he added, “I really like it here.

“And playing in the big games obviously helps me. I love playing in the big games, that’s what I play football for. So it [the Scottish Cup] is an opportunity for me.

“But the club are giving me confidence that they’re not making a decision based on me playing right now. They’re giving me confidence that it won’t impact too much.”

Macey’s contract with Hibs expires in the summer.