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LIAM FONTAINE knows it will never rival the emotional anthem Sunshine on Leith – but he hopes to hear his own ode to Hibs ring round Easter Road one day.
The 31-year-old is set to swap the training pitch for the studio in the coming weeks to record ‘Coming Straight Out Of Leith’ after encouragement from his team-mates and fans.
The big defender took up the guitar to relieve the boredom of his downtime as a footballer but has proved his talents stretch far beyond his rearguard efforts in green and white.
Fonts made a video of his track and began by showing it to skipper and car buddy David Gray.
When lifelong Hibee Paul Hanlon gave it the thumbs up, he knew he was on to something.
But he never expected his self-penned ditty to reach the wider audience it did when Marvin Bartley found the recording on his phone and put it out on social media.
It now has nearly 13,000 views on Youtube.
With the feedback proving positive, the former Fulham and Bristol City stopper insists he is ready to take on the charts as well as the Premiership’s strikers.
Speaking after signing a new one-year deal to stay at Hibs, he said: “It’s one of my past-times, I muck around to switch off and I was just playing around on my guitar one day, came up with a little rhythm and then came up with a chorus and built a song.
“I always film myself so I don’t forget anything and then I wondered if it was just me or if I had quite a good thing.
POSITIVE RESPONSE
“I played it to Davie Gray, I travel in with him every day, and he said it was quite catchy. Then, I played it to Paul, who is Hibs through and through, and he said it was a great song.
“Then obviously Marv found it and does what he does!
“I have had quite a positive response from the fans, which is obviously good for me to put yourself out there like that – no, not me, Marv to put me out like that!
“Because it is about our club, it will go down well with the fans and I’ve had a few offers to record it properly, so I think the plan is to actually record it officially and make it available.
“It won’t rival Sunshine on Leith, that song is unrivalled, it’s an epic tune.
“I’ve already had a few fans say they will get it ringing from the ground, but I see it more as a bit of fun, though it has turned out alright.
“I’ve had a few messages from the boys – a couple saying ‘what are you doing’ and a couple saying that’s all right. Your closest mates are your biggest critics but it’s good fun.”
