Josh Doig

Josh Thomas Doig (born 18 May 2002) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a left-back or left wing-back for Serie B club Sassuolo. He has previously played for Hibernian, Queen's Park and Hellas Verona, and has represented Scotland at the under-21 level.

Josh Doig

Personal information
Full name	Josh Thomas Doig
Date of birth	(2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.89 m)[1]
Position(s)	Left-back, left wing-back
Team information
Current team	Sassuolo
Number	3
Youth career
	Heart of Midlothian
2019–2020	Hibernian
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2022	Hibernian	62	(1)
2020	→ Queen's Park (loan)	7	(0)
2022–2024	Hellas Verona	34	(2)
2024–	Sassuolo	16	(0)
International career‡
2019	Scotland U18	1	(0)
2021–	Scotland U21	10	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:14, 18 December 2023 (UTC)

Early life

Josh Thomas Doig was born on 18 May 2002 in Edinburgh.^[2]

Club career

Hibernian

Doig first signed with Hibernian during the summer of 2019, having previously been in the youth system of their Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts.^[3][4] In February 2020, he signed a contract with Hibernian to run until the summer of 2023 and was loaned to League Two club Queen's Park for the rest of the 2019–20 season.^[5]

Doig was added to the Hibs first team squad ahead of the 2020–21 season,^[6] and he made his first competitive appearance for the club on 1 August 2020 in a 2–1 win against Kilmarnock.^[7] Doig played regularly for Hibs during the 2020–21 season, and in January 2021 it was reported by BBC Sport that English Premier League clubs and Celtic had expressed interest in signing him.^[8] Doig scored his first senior goal on 20 February 2021, in a 2–0 win for Hibs against Hamilton.^[9] Doig then signed a new contract with Hibs, which was due to expire in the summer of 2025.^[10][11] At the end of his breakthrough season with Hibs, Doig won the SFWA Young Player of the Year award.^[12]

Amid transfer speculation, Doig returned to Hibernian's squad starting in his first game back against Ross County where Hibernian won 3–0 on 9 August 2021.^[13][14]

On 20 November 2021, Doig signed a new long-term contract at Hibernian.^[15] Hibs accepted an offer of over £3 million for Doig from Italian club Hellas Verona in July 2022.^[16]

Hellas Verona

Doig completed his move to Hellas Verona on 13 July 2022, signing a four-year contract with the Italian side.^[17] He later admitted that he wanted to escape the pressures of playing for one of the big two Edinburgh clubs.^[18] He made his Serie A debut in a 1–0 loss to Atalanta. Doig provided an assist on his second appearance a week later. He scored a goal on his first start for Verona, a 2–1 win against Sampdoria on 4 September.^[19] On 3 October 2022, Doig scored his second goal for Hellas Verona, a volley, later voted one of the best goals of the season in Serie A. He made 22 appearances in Serie A in the 2022–23 season, and recorded two goals and four assists. In the following 2023–24 season, he made twelve Serie A appearances, missing four games through injury.

Sassuolo

After Hellas Verona refused to allow a transfer to Marseille in France, Doig joined fellow Serie A club Sassuolo on 20 January 2024 for a fee of €6 million, plus €1 million in add-ons, with a 10% sell-on clause in favor of Verona on a future transfer.^[20][21] He was handed the number 43 shirt.

On 28 January 2024, Doig made his debut during the 22nd Serie A matchday against AC Monza as a left-back. He provided two assists and played his 50th Serie A match against Lazio in a 1–1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico.

International career

Doig was selected in a Scotland U18 squad in September 2019, and played in a 2–1 win against Paraguay.^[22] The following month, he was selected in the Scotland U19 squad.

In May 2021, after a successful individual season for Doig in which he was named the SFWA Young Player of the Year, he was selected for the Scotland under-21 squad. He was later forced to withdraw through injury.^[23]

Doig was added to the full Scotland squad for the first time in September 2022.^[24] He was selected for the full squad again in November 2023, following injuries to Andrew Robertson, Kieran Tierney.^[25]

Career statistics

As of match played 26 May 2024^[26]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Hibernian Under-20s	2019–20	SPFL Development League	—						1	0	1	0
Queen's Park FC (loan)	2019–20	Scottish League Two	7	0	—		—		—		7	0
Hibernian	2019–20	Scottish Premiership	0	0	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	2020–21	Scottish Premiership	28	1	5	0	2	0	—		35	1
	2021–22	Scottish Premiership	34	0	3	0	3	0	2[a]	0	42	0
	Total		62	1	9	0	5	0	2	0	78	1
Hellas Verona	2022–23	Serie A	22	2	0	0	—		0	0	22	2
	2023–24		12	0	2	0	—		—		14	0
	Total		34	2	2	0	—		0	0	36	2
Sassuolo	2023–24	Serie A	16	0	0	0	—		—		16	0
Career total			119	3	11	0	5	0	3	0	138	3

1. Appearances in the UEFA Conference League

Honours

Hibernian

• Scottish Cup runner-up: 2020–21^[27]
• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2021–22^[28]

Individual

• SPFL Premiership Team of the Season: 2020–21^[12]
• SFWA Young Player of the Year: 2020–21^[29][12][30]
• Hibernian Young Player of the Year: 2020–21^[31]
• PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year nominee: 2021-22^[32]
• SFWA Young Player of the Year nominee: 2021-22^[32][33]

References

1. "Josh Doig". Hellas Verona FC. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
2. "J. Doig: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
3. McPartlin, Patrick (2 February 2020). "Matty Yates: Striker joins Hibs from Rangers as Josh Doig and Innes Murray pen loan deals". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
4. Boys International Squad 2019, Scottish Schools' Football Association
5. "JOSH DOIG SEALS NEW CONTRACT AND LOAN DEAL". www.hibernianfc.co.uk. Hibernian FC. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
6. Delaney, James (7 July 2020). "The new Andy Robertson and a teenage keeper: Who are the Hibs prospects joining first team training?". Edinburgh Live. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
7. McPartlin, Patrick (1 August 2020). "Hibs: Jack Ross hails summer signings after Kilmarnock win and praises Josh Doig performance". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
8. Lindsay, Clive (30 January 2021). "Josh Doig: 'No better place' than Hibs for 18-year-old amid 'madness' of top club links". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
9. Gordon, Moira (21 February 2021). "Hibs verdict: Teenage kicks as Josh Doig has day to remember against Hamilton". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
10. "Josh Doig rewarded with new long-term contract". Hibernian FC. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
11. "Hibernian tie down left-back Josh Doig on long-term deal". STV Sport. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
12. McDermott, Scott (9 May 2021). "Josh Doig emulates Kieran Tierney as Hibs star follows his idol's footsteps to scoop SFWA Young Player of the Year". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
13. Campbell, Andy (9 August 2021). "Hibernian 3–0 Ross County". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
14. Gordon, Moira (4 August 2021). "Josh Doig suitors told to put up or shut up as Hibs boss says cut-off point approaching". scotsman.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
15. "Josh Doig Signs Long-Term Deal". Hibernian FC. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
16. McPartlin, Patrick (8 July 2022). "Hibs defender Josh Doig on the verge of Serie A switch as Hellas Verona make their move". msn.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
17. Delaney, James (13 July 2022). "Josh Doig seals Hellas Verona switch as defender leaves Hibs". STV Sport. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
18. https://www.nottheoldfirm.com/news/josh-doig-opens-up-on-hibs-transfer-exit-david-gray-and-hibees-struggles/
19. Pilcher, Ross (4 September 2022). "Josh Doig's first Verona goal is perfect birthday present for dad on maiden Serie A start". msn.com. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
20. "Il Sassuolo ingaggia lo scozzese Josh Doig". U.S. Sassuolo Calcio (in Italian). 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
21. Rotondaro, Vittorio (20 January 2024). "Doig saluta il Verona: è ufficiale la cessione al Sassuolo". Goal.com (in Italian). Retrieved 20 January 2024.
22. Josh Doig at the Scottish Football Association
23. "Hibs reveal Josh Doig injury as defender is forced to pull out Scotland under-21 squad". Herald Scotland. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
24. "Josh Doig and Declan Gallagher join Scotland squad". BBC Sport. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
25. "Scotland: 'Very important' to end qualifiers on a high despite injuries - Steve Clarke". BBC Sport. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
26. Josh Doig at Soccerbase
27. "St Johnstone 1-0 Hibernian: Shaun Rooney the hero again as St Johnstone win Scottish Cup final". Sky Sports. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
28. "Kyogo leads Celtic to League Cup triumph". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
29. "Who's our brightest young star?". www.scottishfwa.com. SFWA. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
30. "Young Player of the Year". SFWA. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
31. FC, Hibernian (28 May 2021). "Hibernian Player of the Year Awards 2021: The Winners". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
32. FC, Hibernian (29 April 2022). "Doig Delighted with Young Player of the Year Nomination". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
33. "Scottish Young Player of the Year nominations short-list revealed". SFWA. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2024.