HIBS fans' chief Mike Riley believes the signing of Derek Riordan could spark a massive cash boost to the club's coffers.
Riley feels the prospect of seeing their returning hero make his debut second time around will bump up the number of Hibs supporters by thousands for the Dundee United game on Saturday week.
The club averages a gate of around 13,000 at home but
that is expected to increase dramatically for Riordan's first game back in the green-and-white, with fans desperate to be there to welcome him back to Easter Road.
Add to that a boost in supporters buying season tickets and Hibs strips – many with the striker's name printed on the back – and Riley says Riordan's re-signing is a win-win situation all round.
"I'm expecting a lot of people to go out and buy tickets for next weekend's game," he said, "It's Derek's first game back for us and everyone will be desperate to be there.
"I think the fact that Derek is playing will add a couple of thousand to the gate and on top of that people will be out buying season tickets and shirts with his name on the back.
"Everyone will want to go to the Dundee United game with 'Riordan' printed on the back of their Hibs top.
"This is what we have been waiting for all summer."
The Easter Road side may have missed out on a place in Europe last season, however they will carry an added threat up front this season with the addition of Riordan.
Fans will be hoping that the hitman can add around 20 goals to their tally in both the SPL and Scottish Cup campaigns this term and Riley conceded that chairman Rod Petrie had answered his critics in the best way possible by bringing Riordan back.
The club have also signed Sol Bamba, David van Zanten, Joe Keenan, Steven Thicot and Steve Pinau for the current campaign and Riley continued: "This is a massive boost for Hibs and for the club's fans, without a doubt. I personally am delighted and just can't wait to see him back out there on the pitch playing for Hibs again. I think it's great that Hibs have pushed the boat out to bring Derek in – as well as the other players who have come in over the summer.
"A lot has been said and people have criticised him but Rod Petrie has maybe proved a few people wrong with what has happened over the last couple of days.
"I do think that we could still do with a goalkeeper, so I just hope that he continues to prove us wrong and keeps adding more quality to our side."
And, away from the implications on the domestic scene, Riley insisted that Gordon Strachan's decision to freeze Riordan out of his Celtic side simply helped rob Scotland of their place at Euro 2008.
Riley, chairman of the Hibs Supporters' Association, firmly believes that Riordan would have been a regular in the national side had it not been for his move to Parkhead and his goals would have been a huge asset as the Scotland players made their valiant bid to qualify for Austria and Switzerland.
"I think that he has been a massive loss from not only our side, but also from the Scotland side. The form that he was in before he left Easter Road, I think he could have gone on to become a regular fixture in the national team.
"He was playing some great stuff, scoring a lot of goals and was full of confidence.
"If he had been allowed to continue in that vein and been given games then who knows how far he would have gone.
"Gordon Strachan's decision to leave him out of the Celtic side has not only affected Derek, it has also had an affect on the whole of Scotland.
"Scotland supporters have been denied the chance to see him play for their country on top of his form.
"Hopefully now that he is back at Hibs he can get back to playing regularly and work his way into George Burley's side for the World Cup qualifiers.
"I know that he will be a sensation again."
The full article contains 717 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
