Feature: 'Ready, Steady Agogo',

It is abundantly clear that Junior Agogo has all the necessary attributes required for the job of Hibernian striker; the Ghanaian Gladiator has bags of power and technique plus speed and flair. While Garry O�Connor enjoyed a profitable September as the team�s chief goal-getter, Agogo provided an effective supporting role in attack. The muscular African forward delivered a high-quality finish � with nerveless efficiency � to score a precious equaliser against Dundee United. Agogo, enormously strong and a colossus in the air, then followed that up with a thrilling performance in the win over St Johnstone; underlining his classy merits to the Easter Road crowd. But his stay at Hibernian so far hasn�t all been plain sailing for the 32-year-old, who has plied his trade in five different countries before landing in Leith. His early performances were seen as a marked anti-climax. In a side that was low on confidence, Agogo, who had gone a year without a competitive match, was short of match fitness and unable to make an immediate impact. What made this so frustrating for everyone concerned � most of all manager Colin Calderwood � was that Agogo had proved conclusively with both Bristol Rovers and Nottingham Forest that, given the right service, he was a prolific marksman. Rather than panic, Agogo just relied on his unbreakable self-belief, worked hard on his fitness levels and began to make a positive impact on an improving team. Agogo said: �It was a slow start for me, but that wasn�t down to a lack of effort or anything; it just took me a while to be 100% fit. �But it just meant I had to dig deeper and I�ve always had confidence in myself. �I know what I can do, so I was patient, kept working hard and now I feel I�m reaping the rewards. �I feel I�m getting stronger with every game. I probably hadn�t played a proper competitive game for a year before I made my debut for Hibs. �I had a couple of injuries and then I had problems with my club in Cyprus, so it had taken about 12 months to get back to where I wanted to be �I never had a doubt in my head about my own ability plus I wanted to play for Colin (Calderwood) again; he took a chance on me. I know what I can do and I know what football is like. �I�ve got my mind right and even though I desperately wanted to come back and play, create and score; sometimes you just have to be patient and bide you time. �The boys have been great to me and it was good to be able to pay them back and also pay back the fans. �Even though sometimes you hear fans moaning; that is all part and parcel of football. �As I said, I know what I have to do and I�ve been around for quite a while. Right now, I�m in a good place.� Like a modern-day Phileas Fogg with football boots, Accra-born Agogo�s career has seen him wear the colours of Sheffield Wednesday, Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, San Jose Earthquakes, QPR, Barnet, Bristol Rovers, Nottingham Forest, Zamalek and Apollon Limassol. The striker, who moved to Kilburn, north-west London when he was 15, actually sampled top flight British football while with Sheffield Wednesday, albeit 54 minutes over a decade ago. Agogo admits football has already taken him on a fascinating journey and that he is excited about the latest chapter in Scotland.