Former Hibs star Josh Doig suffered heartbreak last night as Sassuolo were relegated from Serie A.

The Scotland Under-21 left-back quit Hellas Verona after completing a £5million move to their Italian rivals in January. But the 22-year-old's time at his new club has quickly turned sour after a 2-0 home defeat to Cagliari on Sunday sealed their fate and ended their 11 consecutive seasons in the top-flight.

Sassuolo - who earned their first-ever promotion to Serie A back in 2013 - endured an unexpectedly miserable season. Manager Alessio Dionisi was given the boot in February as the club became embroiled in a battle for survival. Davide Ballardini was brought in to steady the ship but was unable to steer them to safety. And it's resulted in a nightmare end to the campaign for Doig who may now look back on the January window with regret.

The talented starlet had established himself as one of the standout full-backs in Serie A after making the £3m switch from Easter Road in the summer of 2022. He had earned rave reviews in his debut campaign with Verona and his impressive form even saw him linked with heavyweights Juventus.

Injuries brought the end of last season to a premature end for Doig but his teammates managed to survive a relegation play-off against Spezia to maintain Verona's top-flight status for another year. That gave the defender the platform to showcase his potential for a second successive year in Italy's top-flight and he soon found himself at the centre of a January transfer tug-of-war.

Rino Gattuso thought he had won the battle for his signature as the ex-AC Milan and Rangers hero attempted to lure the uncapped Scot to Marseille. Yet despite thrashing out personal terms with the French giants, Sassuolo pulled the plug on the deal after being tabled more money by Italian rivals Sassuolo.

Gattuso was left reeling at the turn of events but soon found himself out of a job just weeks later after a difficult campaign at the Stade Velodrome. That left ambitious Doig with a major decision as he weighed up staying with Verona or opting for a fresh challenge in Emilia-Romagna.

Despite Sassuolo lingering in the bottom end of the table, Doig gambled by moving to the Neroverdi - netting Hibs a tidy six-figure windfall due to a sell-on clause. Unfortunately, the risk did not pay off as the club - who usually compete at the top end of the division - failed to improve their woeful run of form resulting in their relegation with a game to go.

Sassuolo's predicament could now force them to sell some of their biggest assets - including crocked star man Domenico Berardi - as they prepare for life in Serie B. And it's unlikely Doig will be short of suitors from across Europe which could see him move on after a difficult six months at the Mapei Stadium.

Doig's situation may also put both Celtic and Rangers on transfer alert, with both Glasgow clubs in the market for a new left-back this summer. Ibrox boss Philippe Clement was linked with a swoop for the youngster in January but an official offer was never put on the table.