Kiwi star now fishing for Scottish Cup glory

It took a close encounter with a shark to make up his mind but Hibernian striker Chris Killen, seen here in 2003, has never regretted swapping the life of a fisherman for a football career on the other side of the world

It took a close encounter with a shark to make up his mind but Hibernian striker Chris Killen has never regretted swapping the life of a fisherman for a football career on the other side of the world.

Born and bred close to the scenic resort of Island Bay in New Zealand, some 11,410 miles from Scotland's capital, Killen has bridged the divide with ease to take on a starring role for a Hibs side that is on course to end a 104-year wait to lift the Scottish Cup.

Killen has spent seven years in Britain since leaving his local side Marimar Rangers as a starry-eyed 17-year-old in search of a glittering football career.

English Premiership side Manchester City were his first port of call before a four-year spell at Oldham led to his capture by Hibernian during the January transfer window.

Four goals in his first four starts quickly marked him down as a favourite with the Scottish Premier League club's fans, and his hero status will be assured if he can steer Hibs past city rivals Hearts in front of a sellout 52,000 crowd at Hampden Park on Sunday.

It was the prospect of playing in that kind of environment that persuaded Killen to quit his beloved homeland and life on a boat for football.

"I grew up in a little fishing village just off Island Bay," the 24-year-old told AFP. "When we were kids we used to swim every day to the nearest island or go fishing.

"My best friend Antonio De Gregrio's dad was a fisherman and we'd often set out on his boat at 2.30am to go six hours into the water and catch some of the fish.

"We'd throw out lines that were almost two miles in length and often couldn't see what we were about to catch with our rods.

"One day we caught a blue shark that was about 15 to 20 feet long and weighed a ton. It was there, just yards from us, snapping away at our faces and when that happens you kind of wish you were somewhere else!"

Somewhere else Killen did go. Now with a house in Manchester and a temporary home in Scotland, his travelling days are far from over.

As he walks down the multi-cultural city centre of Edinburgh with the imposing and intriguing castle as a backdrop, he's given a constant reminder of the number one sport in this town ... football.

The green-and-white jerseys of Hibernian are never far from his eyeline but can often be mixed in with the maroon tops of their rivals Hearts.

Seven years ago the streets of Edinburgh were swelling with Hearts fans as some 200,000 people lined the route of their club's open-topped bus route to welcome 'home' the Scottish Cup.

Those joyous scenes have yet to be realised by Killen's club, though, who last tasted success at this level in 1902.

However, with the passionate fans driving Hibernian on and with just 180 minutes between them and the trophy, Killen looks forward with confidence.

"The Hibs fans are fantastic and they deserve success," Killen said. "I see them in the street and they all have a real love for their club.

"It's what I'm used to from my childhood, that passion. Where I grew up there was a strong Italian community and we all know that they love their football.

"Now that I'm in Scotland I'm loving it because the fans have the same passion. I could be here for a long time but, right now, I still feel that one day I will go back to my roots in Island Bay."