Former Hibs midfield star Kevin Nicol, now captain of FK Haugesunds, the club for which Antoine-Curier was playing, was a conduit for the move, advising Collins on his then team-mate's potential while telling the player of life at Easter Road.

Antoine-Curier told the Edinburgh Evening News: "I think Kevin got a phone call from the manager about me and the next thing I knew I was on the next flight to Edinburgh. Kevin told me Hibs were a massive club, that the likes of Franck Sauzee, David Zitelli and Freddy Arpinon had been here while he was with the club and that if I could do what I was doing in Norway then I would be okay."