Why Lewis Stevenson departs Hibernian as a legend and history-maker - Reporter Notebook

At Easter Road change is constant - as highlighted by the departure of yet another manager in Nick Montgomery.

There is usually a huge turnover of players too, but two individuals have bucked that trend at Easter Road.

Lewis Stevenson played his 600th game for Hibernian against Motherwell at Easter Road on Wednesday, while his fellow defender and friend Paul Hanlon made his 565th appearance in the final game of the season against Livingston. Now the duo depart for pastures new.

• Hibs sack Nick Montgomery as head coach
• Malky Mackay named Hibs sporting director
• Stream Scottish Premiership and more with NOW
• Get Sky Sports | Download the Sky Sports App

Hanlon deserves an article of his own, given his contribution to the club. Stevenson, the 36-year-old from Fife, has been a staple of consistency, dignity, class and above all perseverance. 'Persevere' is the motto of Leith, the area of Edinburgh that Hibernian call home - and it is fair to say Stevenson has been the epitome of that over his 19 seasons with the club.

You have to go back to September 2005 for the beginning of the Stevenson story. Then Hibs boss Tony Mowbray decided to start a young 17-year-old left-back in a League Cup tie against Ayr United. Fans had been aware of Stevenson during the pre-season tour of Ireland, where he impressed and would be the latest product of a then fantastic youth system that brought through a golden generation of young talent.

That night at Somerset Park, all the talk was about Derek Riordan's return to the starting XI after knocking back a move to Cardiff City. Riordan would go on to score a double in a 2-1 win, but little did Hibernian fans realise a future club legend had just made the first of 600 appearances.

Following the arrival of John Collins as manager, Stevenson would get a run in the first team - this time in a midfield role.

It was in that midfield berth on just his 16th first-team game that Stevenson's legendary status would take shape. Hibernian beat Kilmarnock 5-1 in the 2007 League Cup Final, winning their first major trophy in 16 years. Any cup win for the club brings legendary status and this was a good team.

Steven Fletcher scored twice at Hampden Park and would go on to play for Scotland and in the Premier League with a variety of clubs. Scott Brown would soon join Celtic where he won multiple honours as captain at Parkhead but the player Stevenson credits with having a big influence on his career was left-back David Murphy thanks to his guidance and support.

Stevenson was awarded the man-of-the-match award but as we would come to appreciate, he was keen to deflect attention away from himself, telling BBC Scotland on the pitch at Hampden Park: "I wasn't even meant to be playing today, never mind being man of the match. I think everyone was brilliant, I think it was just my age that I got man of the match. I think we deserve it, the fans deserve it as well."

A cup double could have been on the cards, but Hibs faltered and lost the Scottish Cup semi-final replay to Dunfermline as their wait for glory in that competition continued.

Hibernian managers would come and go in the years to follow. Hibs heroes Mixu Paatelainen and John Hughes took charge before Colin Calderwood and Pat Fenlon. It is fair to say Hibs went through a transitional period that even saw Calderwood play Stevenson at right-back. Fenlon got Hibs to two Scottish Cup finals but 5-1 and 3-0 defeats to Hearts and Celtic respectively were very much low points of Stevenson's time at the club. It would get worse with relegation under Terry Butcher in 2014 via the play-offs. With the club at a low ebb, new chief executive Leeann Dempster and head coach Alan Stubbs would get rid of the deadwood and start a new era for Hibernian, one in which Stevenson was very much a part of.

In a second tier containing Edinburgh rivals Hearts and newly-promoted Rangers, Hibernian took time to get going but would finish second before losing in the play-offs.

In season 2015/16, Hibernian pushed Rangers and despite promotion again not going their way, they did reach two cup finals. The first ended in defeat in the final minute as Ross County won the League Cup in March. However, Hibs' chance of glory would come two months later.

Fast-forward to May 21, 2016. The venue, Hampden Park, Glasgow.

Two minutes into stoppage time, captain David Gray would head home the winner to end a 114-year wait for the Scottish Cup to head back to Easter Road. Anyone in Edinburgh that weekend will tell you the scenes were even beyond their wildest dreams - for no one in living memory had witnessed Hibernian win the oldest trophy in world football.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

For Stevenson, he became the first and so far only Hibernian player to win both the League Cup and Scottish Cup. Legendary status secured. Simple as that.

All the players on that day will forever be legends as the team who ended a hoodoo stretching back to 1902, but for Stevenson and team-mate Hanlon, it was extra special. They had played through the difficult times, they had to face the media and fans many times following bad defeats and they had finally won the holy grail. You could see it on their faces as the Scottish Cup was lifted by Gray then immediately passed to Stevenson then Hanlon.

When both were interviewed by my colleague Charles Paterson, Stevenson showed the emotions he often hides: "I'm choking up, my Mrs won't be happy, I never cried when my daughter was born but I was crying out there on the pitch"

There was 'Sunshine on Leith' as The Proclaimers song goes.

Hibernian would get promoted under Neil Lennon, who inherited and built on a good Hibernian team that included John McGinn.

He would receive a testimonial in 2017 against Sunderland. Never one to be the centre of attention, this was very much deserved before a Scotland call-up and international debut for a friendly against Peru a year later.

Paul Heckingbottom then Jack Ross would take over as Stevenson's position was threatened by a new young talent, although again, typical of Lewis, he did not see it that way. Josh Doig, now playing in Serie A with Sassuolo, came into the team as an 18-year-old with plenty of potential. The world was in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic with games taking place in front of empty stands. After seeing off many a challenger for the left-back role, Stevenson had real competition but rather than treat it as that, he saw it as his duty to support and mentor Doig, just as Murphy did with him over a decade earlier.

Covering many Hibernian games in season 2020/21, where they finished third, Stevenson was first on the field at half-time and full-time to speak to and advise Doig and offer the benefits of his experience. When Doig was left out of the team as can happen when young-and-upcoming Stevenson came back into the starting XI as if he had never been away.

More cup finals would come his way in 2021 but Hibernian would again be runners-up for the main prizes.

The club's league appearance record would soon be Stevenson's too. Making his 450th in February 2021 - overtaking hero of the 1970s, Arthur Duncan.

• Get Sky Sports | Download the Sky Sports App
• Free-to-watch Scottish Premiership highlights

Only Duncan and Pat Stanton officially and Famous Five legend Gordon Smith, once you add in his wartime appearances, have played over 600 times for Hibernian. In a modern era, where players come and go, loyalty from club-to-player and player-to-club is limited, Hibs have been spoiled by the presence of Lewis Stevenson. Some fans won't see it that way but, trust me, this man has spent over half his life playing for Hibernian Football Club, taking the lows, the hurt, the pain and the difficult moments while giving it one of the most incredible highs in 2016. He is someone who has never caused a moments' bother for any of his managers, an incredible work-rate, fantastic fitness, and an underestimated determination to better himself and his team-mates.

Hibernian have issues including a transfer policy that is not working, the constant turnover of managers, and financial losses being announced while also welcoming new investors in terms of The Black Knights headed by Bournemouth owner Bill Foley. New sporting director Malky Mackay has a lot to be getting on with when he starts next month, including appointing a new head coach.

Win £250,000 with Super 6!

Correctly predict six scorelines for a chance to win £250,000 for free. Entries by 3pm Saturday.

The departures of Stevenson and Hanlon might have been inevitable, some may say it was time, but not only will two legends leave the club, but two players will leave who know what the club means, who know how the fans feel and have been there and worn the jersey. That is something that any new money coming into Easter Road certainly cannot buy.

They leave a legacy that lives on with their charitable work through the Hanlon Stevenson Foundation, helping those less fortunate in Edinburgh, The Lothians and Fife, showing that first and foremost they are class individuals, regardless of what they have achieved as footballers.

My first meeting with Lewis was in the weeks that followed the League Cup win, when I was a young radio reporter in Edinburgh. Here was this kid with an indie-rocker haircut and skinny jeans, with a shy and modest demeanour but a steely determination. I have always found Lewis easy to deal with as my career progressed from radio to TV.

Sometimes you would want more from him. Usually the club would stick him in front of a camera when another manager had departed or after a disappointing defeat, knowing he was a safe pair of hands. He was and still is too clever to give anything away that he shouldn't but, on the occasions, when I have convinced him to do a feature or longer form interview, his personality and dry wit comes to the fore.

Lewis told me on the eve of his 500th appearance that he has never thought about leaving and he wanted to play his whole career at the club. That won't happen after the club announced he would leave at the end of the season.

He added that it will seem alien to play elsewhere, and he has gotten away with not having to stand up and sing in front of new team-mates. Well Lewis, you will have too now. Take that microphone and whoever you join, sing loud and proud for a Hibernian career that has had it all.

Ad content | Stream Sky Sports on NOW

Stream Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from the Scottish Premiership, Premier League, EFL, F1 and so much more. Find out more here...