Hibernian striker Christian Doidge’s cites his two Welsh League Cup triumphs among his career highlights to date.
The fact that the back-to-back finals for Carmarthen Town were played in front of only a few thousands fans does not diminish from that feat as far as Doidge is concerned.
Fresh from scoring a hat-trick in Tuesday’s absorbing 4-2 Scottish Cup replay win over Dundee United as Hibs set up a last-16 clash with BSC Glasgow, Doidge is now hoping to create more lasting memories on a bigger stage.
He said: “I’ve won the Welsh League Cup twice with Carmarthen Town and that’s probably as far as I’ve gone.
“I’m Welsh so I would never slag off the Welsh Premier League.
“I was very young and to get silverware is always special.
“It’s something I will always remember because a lot of them are still my friends.
“They both went to penalties so it was obviously very stressful.
“I’ve had some nice FA Cup runs. I played Everton away at Goodison Park for Dagenham and Redbridge in my second season – we got beat 2-0.
“That was in the third round and it was a nice experience.
“In those games you want to make a name for yourself.
“You want to go there and perform well and hopefully someone is watching you, especially when you are at a really small club like that.
“Clubs want you to move on and progress so anyone who is on that pitch is probably going to be looking for a spot in the Premiership.”
That will be the incentive for players at Lowland League side BSC Glasgow in next month’s fifth round clash.
However, Doidge, who now has 14 goals for the season, is adamant Hibs will not be caught off guard against the part-timers.
He added: “It’s a massive game for the club we are playing, really enjoyable for their club and I’m sure they will make a lot of money from it.
“It’s a great opportunity for them so we have got to go there fully prepared and expect a very good side.”
Doidge only managed two goals under former head coach Paul Heckingbottom, the man who brought him to the club from Forest Green Rovers last summer, at the start of the season.
However, the 27-year-old is thrilled with his recent rich vein of form.
He added: “I always believed it was going to happen. It’s just sometimes as a striker it just doesn’t work out for you.
“It happens in Scotland, England, Wales, everywhere you go. Sometimes you struggle.
“And I probably have a history of not firing straight away when I join a club.
“But after a couple of games you settle in and I have scored a few goals now.”
