New Hibs boss reveals ambitious goal ahead of first season at helm

Scottish Cup-winning Hibs captain David Gray has put claiming silverware at the top of his must-do list after taking over as manager. And he says it’s “realistic” for the Easter Road side to aim for a trophy AND European qualification every season.

Gray, who replaced Nick Montgomery on an interim basis with two games of last season remaining, held his first official press conference alongside new sporting director Malky Mackay at East Mains today. And the former skipper, who famously scored the winning goal as Hibs ended their 114-year Scottish Cup hoodoo in the 2016 final, says adding something to the trophy cabinet is a priority.

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“When you are at this football club, there are demands there from the start,” said the rookie head coach. “And the opportunity is to try to win a trophy – that’s there at the start of every season.

“Is that a realistic target? Absolutely. I’ve managed to live that and breathe that myself.

“The fans deserve it, they crave it. The players were made aware on day one that, when we’re goal setting for the season, we need realistic targets – and that’s exactly what it is.

“Every expectation on this Hibs team has to be try to win a trophy – and to finish in a European position. That’s the ultimate aim from the start of the season.

“We start by showing them what good looks like, what success looks like – and what hard work looks like, in terms of pre-season. If we can get that right, with everyone pulling in the same direction, we’ll be ready for the start.”

Universally admired by the Hibs support for his history-making contribution and all-round record as a player, Gray addressed questions about whether he was risking his reputation by jumping into the hot seat by declaring: “That’s me as a football player. I was very, very lucky to be part of such a successful team. That’s gone, that’s the playing side.

“I love the response I get from people at the club. That’s amazing and makes me feel brilliant at times.

“But I’m very focused on the next step for me. There is always a risk when you become a manager, the need to be successful. I’m under no illusions. But I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“I fully understand the demands of the football club, the expectations. And I know what it looks like when you’re successful – as well as what it feels like when things aren’t going well.

“This club needs to be doing better. I take that on board every single day. If we can get this right, it’s a fantastic place to be. For this to be my first full-time head coaching job, it’s a fantastic opportunity.

“Everyone is well aware of how much this club means to me. I’ve had great times here.

“I’ve always been put into the interim role in difficult situations. And I always wanted to be respectful to the staff who had lost their jobs.

“Now that I’m sitting in this position now, I look back to the very first time I was asked to lead the team, which was the League Cup Final (in 2021, losing 2-0 to Celtic). Had we won that game, and I was then asked to take over then, would that have been the right thing to do? Absolutely not.

“The progression I’ve made in the last three years since then, everything has been geared towards this moment.  I wanted to apply for the job. That was the most important thing. I had done four interim periods.

“Do you ever know when you’re ready? You’re never sure. But I felt this was the right time to go and make a difference here, to put myself out there and apply for the job properly.

“My dad was against it when I joined the coaching staff under Jack Ross. He said I should play as long as I could. I was still fit enough, maybe not to play here, but to continue playing.

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“But I always had that expectation on what would happen after football. I wanted to pave the way for the next 20 or 30 years, eventually becoming a head coach.

“What I’ve learned is there is more than one way to play. Every single manager has brought their own style, everyone has their own ways of working.

“I think I’ve been gathering all this information over the time, being in a position to take the good parts, see what maybe didn’t work, and put them together in what a successful Hibs team should look like.”