Season › 2015-16 › News Hibbert not being considered for action this week , 19 April, 35comments | Jump to most recent Tony Hibbert appearance for the Under-21s last night had many speculating that he was being readied as emergency cover for Seamus Coleman this week but, as Roberto Martinez explains, he is some way off being ready for first-team action. The veteran defender hasn't been a regular for the Blues for a couple of seasons now as he has battled a series of injuries but he took the first step towards a return when he turned out for the second string in the first half of last night's win over Manchester City U21s. "[Tony's had] a long time out," the manager said on evertontv. "He's been through difficult moments and it's great to see Tony back with a big smile enjoying his football again. "I don't the programme will allow him to join the first-team fixture list yet. 45 minutes in the U21s was the first step. We're going to assess him and see how his tissues recover and the next step will 60-65 minutes seven days later. "From that point on he will be ready to be available for the first team and I think it would make a big difference if Tony could be part of the first team, on the pitch before the season ends. "It's been a really difficult road with not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and, clearly, Tony's effort and resilience allowed him to be back on the pitch last night." Reader Comments (35) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Ged Simpson 1 Posted 19/04/2016 at 19:44:14 I wonder has he had his day now. Backroom job? Colin Glassar 3 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:12:39 Is he keeping company with Niasse in the ICU at Finch Farm? Gary Willock 4 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:15:49 2 halves for the under 21's, and ready for the first team.....are you watching Niasse lad! Seriously though, hope ozzy, Gibbo, Hibbo, Howard and peanuts all get a chance to come and say goodbye as players, and 2-3 stay on to help coach that promising young we have. Martin Nicholls 5 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:27:40 Gary – what makes you think any of them have any coaching skills? Should be a case of "Thanks lads and goodbye". Andrew Presly 6 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:28:53 Hibbert getting discussed in 2016. Wonderful. Rob Hooton 7 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:39:44 Hibbo to score before retiring; we get to riot. Tom Bowers 8 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:46:12 Would have been nice for Hibbo to play in possibly his last derby match but would have been unfair to finish on a bad note as it would appear.The youngster Connolly may get his start unless Oviedo is switched but Oviedo looks slow as did Gibson last Saturday. RS have lots of pace and Everton's bad giveaway habits may cost them dearly. Ian Brandes 9 Posted 19/04/2016 at 20:51:20 He will be fit to play in 2018 once his wrist gets better! Anthony Dwyer 10 Posted 19/04/2016 at 21:46:48 Gary wilcock 4.What do you mean, most of them will get new deals if Roberto 'Mr nice Guy' is still incharge. Mike Price 11 Posted 19/04/2016 at 21:53:09 That 2-year deal he got was money well spent. Better than a gold watch I suppose. Nicey, nicey Everton and their charitable contracts to useless, old, crap, overweight, or all of the above, players.And now we're doing charitable signings that cost even more and are just as pointless... see Niasse. Steve Davies 12 Posted 19/04/2016 at 22:05:24 I like Hibbo and if he scores at Wembley I will be on the pitch like everyone else but I do not understand why he is on the payroll. If he is never a substitute and cannot cover Coelman then what is the point of giving him a contract?Baffling.... Anthony Dwyer 13 Posted 19/04/2016 at 23:27:47 Hibbert has played 19 times since 2012, it's now 2016. Most of the 19 games were not full games, just bits of games here and there plus only 11 of them games were league games.How can anyone consider playing Hibbert now, in April 2016 at the age 35. I love Hibo, but the club are run by fools, giving out big contracts to players like Hibo make our squad and finances weeker.If Hibo has been on around £40,000 for the period of 2012 until now he's cost the club around £10m in wages, that is ludicrous. Add Gibson, Osman, Pienaar, Kone, etc to the running cost of the club, shows us to be under poor leadership. A lot has to change. Joe O'Brien 14 Posted 20/04/2016 at 01:56:02 Oh thank god. No offence, Hibby. Rahman Talib 16 Posted 20/04/2016 at 03:27:02 Hibbert has been with us since Walter Smith days Gary Willock 17 Posted 20/04/2016 at 07:33:41 Anthony Dryer (sic) 10 - I fear you could be right in everything but the spelling of surnames of course ;) Martin 4 - good point, but just like I don't know they are, you don't know they're not potentially good coaches! Personally though, I like to see long standing players integrated into the club family whenever we can. Particularly those with right pro attitudes and even better if local connection. its part of who we are and should be. Liam Reilly 18 Posted 20/04/2016 at 07:34:54 It's not looking good when the Manager is telling us that 35 year old Tony would make a BIG difference.Hibbert is a blue and a nice guy, but should be nowhere near the squad nor on the payroll. This 'family' and 'people's club nonsense had to go if the club is to challenge at any level. Andy Codling 19 Posted 20/04/2016 at 07:58:34 Get rid ,should never have been given his last contract and to suggest keeping him on as coach why would we do that?I'm sure Hibbert will be happy on his private fishery estate in France that he has managed to purchase on the huge wages he has earned by being very average and limited throughout his career!I never really understood why Osman was given a contract when we were in the process of looking for a new manager! Sam Hoare 20 Posted 20/04/2016 at 09:09:39 Why on earth was he offered a new contract of such length when now that we have an injury issue at RB he's not even fit enough to play? Ludicrous waste of money. Tony J Williams 21 Posted 20/04/2016 at 09:19:51 I would suggest that he becomes defensive coach and tells the players how to fucking defend... cos that's all he ever did and he was brilliant at it.Sack the jokers who are the defensive coaches now, if we actually have any and give the moaning bastard the job.He knows what it is to play with heart... albeit not for a few years mind!! Barry Pearce 22 Posted 20/04/2016 at 09:48:31 That's down to the idiot Martinez. Giving him a new contract even though he was injured. Ryan Payne 23 Posted 20/04/2016 at 09:55:39 Agree with 21, Tony Williams. The fella defended our goal to the hilt for the past 15 years. The people on here giving Hibbert stick don't realise he'd run himself into the ground for this club. I'm sure we could all name 100 players we could slate before even starting to badmouth a loyal one-club man. All the best Hibbert, hope he's on the mend and gets on the pitch before the end of the season. Shane Corcoran 24 Posted 20/04/2016 at 10:09:39 Does anyone know when his last first team appearance was? David Midgley 25 Posted 20/04/2016 at 10:14:12 Would anyone fancy going in to Aintree Hospital for a heart or eye operation? The registrar says "Look, the guy that's doing the op is getting on a bit now. He wasn't the best surgeon we've ever had and bye the way he's only done a couple of ops in the last few years. But don't worry you'll be okay. He's a local lad so everything will be fine. We are one big happy family here."No thanks!!! We want the best scouts, the best coaches, the best players and the best manager. Andy Codling 26 Posted 20/04/2016 at 10:22:16 His last appearance I think was December 2014. John Pickles 27 Posted 20/04/2016 at 12:53:55 December 2014 Andy?..... That's a long time on Martinez's 'Naughty step'. He must have really questioned the Chemistry here! Eugene Ruane 28 Posted 20/04/2016 at 13:28:23 Joe (14) - 'Oh thank god. No offence Hibby.''Hibby'?H...H...(clutches throat)...HIBBY!?To quote Don Logan from Sexy Beast..'NO! No no no no no no no no no no no!'There's no 'Hibby' - it's HibbO!Sorry but let's nip this in the bud right now and keep to the accepted familiar forms.It's 'Jags' not 'Jaggo' or 'Jaggy'Graham Stuart isn't 'Topaz'And anyone who would refer to Alan Ball as 'Ballo' deserves harpooning. Don Alexander 29 Posted 20/04/2016 at 13:37:08 Quite so Eugenius!!! Eric Myles 30 Posted 20/04/2016 at 14:55:36 Rahman #16, Hibbert has been with us since before Walter Smith days Gerard Carey 31 Posted 20/04/2016 at 15:08:50 Read in early April, that Tony Hibbert will be put on a one year rolling contract after his present one comes up for review. Andrew Keatley 32 Posted 20/04/2016 at 18:48:36 The current right back situation makes the January debacle surrounding Sam Byram even more annoying and costly. Dennis Stevens 33 Posted 20/04/2016 at 22:18:26 Not as a first team player, Eric. Hibbsy [just for Eugene!] only made his debut in the 2000-01 season. Andrew James 34 Posted 20/04/2016 at 23:55:51 Hibinho, as he is known in Sao Paulo, has had a stand up career for us. A speedy and industrious right back. He was stitched up at Wembley in 09 and Moyes took him off to prevent us going down to 10 men. After that Coleman took on the berth within a season or so.While Coleman is the better player, Hibinho in the last decade was perfect for the era: a tough tackling and tenacious player. He always ran and ran. I wish we still had his spirit. Anthony Dwyer 35 Posted 20/04/2016 at 23:57:37 Hold the back page, after tonight Tony looks first choice again to replace Coleman. Colin Hughes 36 Posted 20/04/2016 at 00:03:43 We are in danger of finishing this season in worse form than Aston Villa if that's humanly possible. Can anybody see us winning at Leicester or Sunderland who both have massive priorities and a vocal support behind them? Will we beat a Norwich side on the last day if they need it to stay up and we are on the beach? We already haven't won in 8 Premier League games. Anthony Dwyer 37 Posted 21/04/2016 at 00:47:39 Very worrying Colin. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads © ToffeeWeb