GARY DEEGAN rarely shirks from a challenge.

The man known initially as "Pit bull" during an unhappy period with Coventry City has been charged with the responsibility of adding grit and steel to a Hibernian team that last season were too often viewed as something of a soft touch. He bristles at the idea that he is a player whose talents begin and end with an ability to kick others up in the air, but with that comes an acknowledgment that his skillset may just be what Hibs need at this time.

"I wouldn't say I was a scrapper," he tells Herald Sport, looking somewhat wounded by the suggestion. "I think I'm a lot more than the usual dogged stuff. But if I can add a bit of steel to the team then I'm happy to do that."

Hibs and Deegan could well be good for each other, both being in desperate need of a fresh start. If Hibs endured a horrible year – a season spent fighting relegation was topped off with a Scottish Cup final to forget – then it wasn't much better for Deegan. His move to Coventry in January 2010, after playing for a number of clubs in the Irish league, was meant to be the start of his ascent to the Premier League but instead turned into something of a disaster.

He had started well, playing and scoring early on, but a stress fracture of the ankle meant his first full season was spent on the sidelines. He played more in his third season but it was an unhappy time, with Deegan failing to see eye to eye with management. An injudicious Tweet, sent in jest to team-mate James McPake, that landed him a two-week suspension only made matters worse. In the end he could not wait to get out of there. The 24-year-old Dubliner comes across as one of life's great optimists, but on the subject of his years at Coventry, a dark cloud descends.

"I'm glad to wash my hands of it now and move on," he says quite firmly. "To be honest, it's a complete write-off for me. In my eyes I never really got a chance last year. There was the injury as well which didn't help. Basically it just never worked out for me at all. I had thought it was going to be my big break when I first went over and I got in the team and was doing quite well. But I had a setback and didn't really recover from it. I fell out with managers and when that happens you can see how things are going to pan out. I knew it was time to move on and I'm glad that I did. I feel that I'm at a better club now, if I'm being honest."

Deegan feels he still has plenty to offer and, in Pat Fenlon, may have the right manager to get it out of him. The pair were together at Bohemians for 18 months, a period that led to the Dublin club twice being crowned League of Ireland champions and running Red Bull Salzburg close in the Champions League qualifiers. Deegan, unsurprisingly, still considers that spell as the happiest of his career, something he gives Fenlon credit for. The Hibs manager is still trying to persuade a sceptical Scottish public of his attributes following a difficult first year at Easter Road but Deegan needs no convincing.

"Bohemians was the first time I had worked with Pat at senior level and it was the best time of my career so far. The team were winning games on a regular basis and you build up that mentality where you go into games confident you can win again. That's what Pat wants to bring here to Hibernian. He's a top manager and I can't speak highly enough of him. He brought my game on a ton and I have to thank him for that. The prospect of working with him and Liam O'Brien [Fenlon's assistant] was one of the key reasons for me coming to Hibs. I admire the way Pat plays and the ambitions he has for the club."

He has signed a deal at Easter Road until the end of the season but is already thinking about an extension, believing Hibs will be playing European football one way or another next year. "I don't see why we can't be challenging for the title this year. I think, bar Celtic, we're all in the same boat. Why can't we do it? We have good players here and they're capable.

"There's definitely a feeling that the manager is building something special here. It's still early days, but things are starting to come together. I've signed for a year but I'd be happy to stay on."