Former Hibs captain confirms transfer interest in signing Easter Road duo as door opened for summer swoop

A former Hibs captain is keen on an Easter Road reunion.

The Hibs pair already know they are going to be leaving Easter Road ahead of the January transfer window.

Former Hibs captain Ian Murray has confirmed his interest in signing Hibs legends Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson for Raith Rovers

The defensive pair will leave Easter Road at the end of the season after iconic stints in Leith, which includes the 2016 Scottish Cup win. Murray played with the duo in his second spell at the club, with the former captain racking up close to 300 Hibs appearances overall.

His Raith side are pushing to make the Premiership and face Partick Thistle in the two-legged play off semi-final after a second-placed Championship finish. The winner will then take on either St Johnstone or Ross County. A look to the summer has already been cast, however, as he opens the door to the Hibs veterans.

He told Fife Free Press: "I think with any players of their quality and experience and how good they are as professionals, we are always going to be interested.

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"But I would imagine that there will be a lot of teams looking at that and thinking the same as us. They are two really good lads, two good players as well.

"Obviously Lewis is Kirkcaldy-born and a Raith Rovers supporter so people put two and two together and get five. But we would like to think that if it was a Championship team or level that were looking at, then we would have a chance.

"I think pretty much all of the Scottish Championship teams will be on alert. You've got good sides in there. Obviously Scott Brown at Ayr United knows them really well and there are also teams like Partick Thistle and - if they keep their status - Inverness.

“Then you've got your Queen's Parks of the world. It's kind of the same for all players, the Championship is probably the hardest market I think in Scotland. We're all kind of there or thereabouts with budgets and we're all kind of there or thereabouts on what football players are available.

"So it's really, really hard. I would imagine they'll have a few teams circling them at the moment. Obviously I was coming towards the end of my playing career when Paul and Lewis were coming through.

"First and foremost they are fantastic guys with 100% professionalism. No matter what anybody thinks about them, that's one thing that's a definite. They give you everything, great team-mates. You don't go 16 and 18 years and rack up over 1,100 appearances without having that.

"They were part of a Hibs team that won the Scottish Cup and obviously Lewis has won the League Cup as well. So it's a fantastic return, they deserve all the plaudits they get.

"Both in my opinion are really good players, really cultured players. Unusually they are both left footed and there's not many going about these days. As sad as it is for them and the Hibs supporters, unfortunately good things come to an end. But there's no doubt that they've given a tremendous amount of service over the years."