Hibernian

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Jojo Wollacott has left Hibernian to sign for English League One side Crawley Town permanently, just one year into his three-year deal.

The 27-year-old former Swindon and Charlton player made eight appearances after joining the Easter Road club last summer for an undisclosed fee.

He made his debut in the Europa Conference League qualifier against Inter Club D’Escaldes, but suffered a thigh injury and then struggled to replace David Marshall between the sticks.

Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay said: “Unfortunately, we couldn’t guarantee Jojo as much game time as he would like, we agreed it was best for him to continue his career down south, in a league that he knows well.”

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David Gray's understanding of the demands at Hibernian will be a "massive help" for the new head coach, says former club captain Marvin Bartley.

A former team-mate of Gray, Bartley feels there has been a mentality issue at Easter Road in recent seasons, but he believes the new boss is the man to address that.

Following several stints as interim manager, Scottish Cup-winning skipper Gray has started his spell as head coach with back-to-back five-goal League Cup group wins against Elgin and Queen's Park.

"David's been out there on that pitch and he understands the demands," Bartley told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"He understands what you have to do day in, day out to be successful at that football club, so I think that's a massive help.

"That was the one thing when I went into that football club, coming up from England. It's no secret people down in England look down on Scottish football as if it's Sunday league.

"And I feel Hibs have signed too many players who have maybe come with that attitude. And when you come with that attitude and realise it is a lot tougher than you expected, it's very, very difficult to then flip that mentality."

Bartley says Gray will be a boss who constantly reminds his players of the "standards they have to set" and is backing his former side to finish in the top five.

But "the biggest thing" he wants to see is for "the club win ugly".

"We all want to see free-flowing football," Bartley adds. "But there's nothing better than going home and seeing your team grind out a 1-0 win, people throwing their bodies on the line and blocking things.

"Then you can go home and say: 'That's my team and that's what I want to see'. I think that's what they need to do."

Former Hibernian captain Marvin Bartley believes his former club have signed too many players with the wrong mindset about Scottish football.

Click here to listen to more on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

Hibernian are the team in focus in Thursday's Scottish Football Podcast.

With the start of the new Premiership season fast approaching, BBC presenter Amy Canavan hosts former Hibs captain Marvin Bartley and fan podcaster Colin Wilkinson.

Click here to listen.

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Hibernian intend to carry out their own recruitment before turning to Bill Foley's Black Knight network for marquee additions. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish football gossip.

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Ewan Henderson has joined Belgian side Beerschot on a permanent deal.

Hibs received a six-figure sum for the midfielder and the deal includes a sell-on clause.

The 24-year-old came through Celtic's youth academy before joining Hibs in 2022, initially on loan.

He departs have made 56 appearances and scored five goals for the Easter Road club.

Henderson spent last season on loan with KV Oostende and now returns to Belgium with top-flight Beerschot.

"I wish Hendo all the best for the future," said head coach David Gray.

“He showed last season that the style of football in Belgium really suits him and shows off some of his best attributes.

"I think he will relish a new environment and kick on in his career."

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Rudi Molotnikov says scoring his first Hibs goal was a moment he's been thinking about for years.

The 18-year-old crowed his man-of-the-match performance with a well-taken goal in Tuesday night's 5-1 League Cup win over Queen's Park.

"I just saw the ball drop to Josh Campbell and it was a perfect pass from him," the midfielder told club media.

"I couldn't have asked for any better.

"I was thinking about that moment since I was young, for it to happen with my family up in the stands, it was perfect."

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Hibs boss David Gray hailed the confidence of 18-year-old forward Rudi Molotnikov after he scored his first senior goal in the 5-1 League Cup win over Queen’s Park.

The teenager grabbed Hibs' third, with a Martin Boyle brace and strikes from Dylan Levitt and new signing Warren O'Hora wrapping up the goals.

"Rudi’s enjoying himself at the moment, he’s full of confidence," Gray said.

"He was around the first team a lot last year training-wise, he’s got that pace and power and he just needed that confidence to come out in him.

"This season he’s come back in pre-season, I had a good chat with him, he’s been with the first team every day and he’s really imposing himself."

It's the second five-star performance from Hibs in a row in the competition, and Gray was impressed with the attitude of his side.

"I’m delighted," he said. "Everything we asked the players to do, they delivered.

"I thought the energy levels, commitment and attitude of every player was spot-on. You saw that with the chances we created and the goals we scored.

"I was slightly disappointed to lose a goal at the very end if we’re being a bit critical but it was a fantastic performance."

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Hibernian right-back Chris Cadden is set to undergo a scan to determine the extent of a thigh injury, head coach David Gray has confirmed.

The 27-year-old came off with the issue during Hibs' League Cup group win at Elgin, but Gray is hopeful "he has caught that one early enough".

"We don’t want to take any chances," the Easter Road boss said of Cadden, who returned from long-term injury at the end of last season.

"So we will get that scanned just to make sure we know what we are dealing with. Once we get the results back we will put a plan in place, but he is positive about how he feels on that."

Forward duo Harry McKirdy and Elie Youan missed Saturday's win, but Gray provided a positive update on both players prior to Tuesday's League Cup group game with Queen's Park.

"McKirdy is getting there everyday," the Hibs boss added. "This one will come slightly too soon for him, but he is days away.

"Elie is back in training this morning after his illness. He is feeling better, but we just need to see how his body reacts to training and monitor that."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Head coach David Gray was pleased with "a real professional performance" as Hibs opened the season with a 5-0 win at Elgin City in the Premier Sports Cup.

"These ties have always got the potential to become quite tricky but I thought we dealt with it really well," he told BBC Scotland.

Dylan Vente scored twice in the first half, with the Dutchman completing a hat-trick after goals from Marvin Ekpiteta and Martin Boyle.

"I thought actually once we got the first goal we were a wee bit sloppy, credit to Elgin as they came back into the game pretty quickly to cause us a couple of issues," said Gray.

"We managed to fix that and then in the second half we really took control of the game and the subs coming as well made a difference and added to that, so that was good, a real collective team effort.

"It's a big thing we have focused on pre-season, that reaction to losing the ball, how important that is and the desire to defend your goal. I think that was evident again today, delighted with the clean sheet. All in all, a real professional performance."

Summer signings Ekpiteta, Warren O'Hora and Josef Bursik all started at at Borough Briggs and Gray expects more new arrivals.

"I don’t really like to put a number on it, it's more about the type of people and what opportunities become available," he said.

"We need to bring in people that are going to enhance the squad.

"We have got a good squad at the moment. If we can add a little bit more, then great.

"We are constantly working to try and improve that and it is something naturally that happens when the window is open and early on in a season that there will be ins and there will be outs and the squad will evolve as we move forward."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hibs centre forward Dylan Vente credits head coach David Gray for improving his confidence and simplifying his role after opening the season with a hat-trick away to Elgin City in the Premier Sports Cup.

"Of course it is a good start, but it is just the beginning, I have to move on and work on things," the Dutchman told BBC Scotland after a 5-0 victory.

"I am doing that and I am happy that David has given me confidence as a striker and just tells me I play as a striker and just stay between the defenders.

"You see today I got chances and I scored and I am happy with that."

The 25-year-old netted eight goals in his debut season at Easter Road, following two prolific campaigns with Roda in his homeland.

"I expected more last year from myself," he said.

"I can say sometimes I did not play in my position, I am a real box player. I think last year was more just running and more as a 10 but that is no excuse.

"I know last season was not that good but I am focused now for playing as a striker."

Hibernian head coach David Gray says work is "ongoing" as the club look to bring in new players and that anyone who comes to the club will need to add "value". (The Scotsman), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Hibs head coach David Gray believes his team are well placed for the new season after an "excellent" pre-season training camp in the Netherlands.

Gray will take charge of Hibs for the first time as permanent head coach against Elgin City in the League Cup on Saturday, and the 36-year-old says his players are raring to go.

"Really looking forward to it, and I'm really pleased with how preparations have gone," he said.

"Everything we've been doing has been geared up to the first competitive game. I'm really happy with the fitness levels and the work we've managed to do, especially in Holland.

"The mood is really positive. The camp was excellent - new players coming in and being able to integrate them into the squad. The work we were able to do has set us up really nicely."

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Hibernian have agreed a contract extension with Joe Newell and named the midfielder as their new club captain.

The 31-year-old's deal was due to expire next summer, but he has now signed on until the end of the 2026-2027 season.

He takes over as captain after centre-half Paul Hanlon was freed and subsequently joined Raith Rovers.

The "delighted" Newell told his club website: "Everyone who knows me knows how much Hibs means to me and I am grateful to be able to commit my future to here.

"To be named club captain is the biggest honour of my career so far. I was looking at the list of previous Hibs captains and to be added to that list of names and follow in the footsteps of some great players is an absolute privilege and truly means the world to me."

Newell joined Hibs in summer 2019, having previously spent four years with Rotherham United, and the Englishman has gone on to make 189 appearances.

He has already captained Hibs 29 times in Hanlon's absence and head coach David Gray said it was "an easy decision" to give him the role permanently.

"He is a great example to the young players at the football club," he said. "He is an excellent player and has maintained a high level of consistency with his performances over the years.

"From playing alongside him to coaching him, I know what he is like as a competitor and a leader both on and off the pitch."

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Hibernian have been slow to bring in new faces, but, with the departure of club stalwart Paul Hanlon and on-loan Will Fish, head coach David Gray has moved to solve what many regard as their Achilles heel in central defence.

Irishman Warren O’Hora missed out on promotion from League Two with MK Dons after finishing fourth, while Marvin Ekpiteta has been a regular starter for four seasons with Blackpool, who ended last season eighth in League One.

Standing at 6ft, 4in, the latter is a former Nigeria Under-20 cap and was club player of the season in 2021-22 when The Seasiders finished 16th in the Championship, while both of the new arrivals had spells as captain at the teams they have just left.

Following clean sheets in all three pre-season friendlies, former full-back Gray will be looking for another away to fourth-tier Elgin City.

• Read Clive's full piece here

We asked for your thoughts on what a successful season for Hibs would look like this time around.

Here’s what some of you had to say:

Kieran: A top-six finish and a run in both cups would suit me. I would love to get a place in Europe but cannot see it happening this season.

Scott: Top five and a decent run in the cups, with the manager still there at the end of the season. No point in wishing for top-three and a cup win, that isn't happening. Realism please Hibs fans, then the following season we can kick on again.

John: We need a midfielder, ball-winner and a striker. If not, we could be in a relegation fight this season.

Colin: They have to be at least top six. A couple of good cup runs would be nice, generally they have to be far more consistent than last season. No disrespect intended, but two away defeats in Dingwall? Not good enough.

Mark: Qualifying for Europe, better football and good runs in the cups. We still need to offload and bring in about a dozen players, which will take time, but yet again, we've missed out on good SPL players we should have been able to sign. Surely we'll get a couple of good loans in from Bournemouth, otherwise what's the point in the link-up?

John: A successful season would be a comfortable top-six finish and a cup final, I think fans would like to see us be difficult to play against home and away.

Alex: If we got to the latter stages of both trophies and a top-four finish in the league, that would be a real turnaround, but I don't see that happening with the lack of new signings so far. I don't want any more loans, we need players who are committed to the cause, I'm always hopeful though.

Stephen: A minimum of winning at least 20-25 league games and two good cup runs, it's high time this club achieved this kind of output and started giving back to the fans for everything we put in!

Hibs fans, after last season's underwhelming league campaign, what do you think would constitute a successful season this time around under David Gray?

Have your say here, external.

Hibernian should bust a gut to sign Simon Murray - because Mixu Paatelainen and Craig Brewster showed what a striker can do after they turn 30, says former striker Tam McManus. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip

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Ross County will let Simon Murray leave Dingwall – with the striker attracting interest from Hibs and Dundee – once they complete the signing of 25-year-old Irish striker Ronan Hale from Cliftonville (The Press & Journal, external)

Belgian club Beerschot are set to complete their move for Hibernian midfielder Ewan Henderson, 24, and former Stoke City winger English winger D'Margio Wright-Phillips (Nieuwsblad, in Dutch, external)

Read the rest of today's Scottish football gossip here.

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David Gray has been using Hibernian's pre-season training camp to help bed himself in to his new role as first-team coach.

After taking interim charge again at the end of last season, Gray was given the permanent job earlier this summer and has overseen wins in all three of their pre-season friendlies.

"The biggest thing for me is that a lot of people knew me already but had never seen me having to lead and actually put my own ideas across all the time," Gray told club media, external.

"It was good to get the opportunity to get everyone together and really understand how I see it moving forward, what I expect from them and what they expect from us.

"It puts us in a good position and now the focus is on the game against Elgin."

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David Gray will be afforded "leeway" as Hibs head coach due to his legendary status at the club, says Scott Allan.

The former Easter Road midfielder told BBC Radio Scotland he expects Gray to lead Hibs into the top six after gaining experience from the various managers he has worked under in recent times.

"He's someone who I played with and had a really good relationship with," Allan said.

"I think Hibs will be really strong this year. He's brought in a few defenders, they'll have a solid pace and you've still got the creativity in forward areas.

"I like [the appointment]. He knows the club. He'll have learned a lot in the last few years under Jack Ross, Shaun Maloney... There's four [managers] he's been through [as a coach]. He'll know what that club needs to get the fans back on side.

"Hibs have invested really well off the pitch but on the pitch, the product hasn't been good enough for what Hibs fans expect.

"He'll instil a bit of calm with the support. I think he'll get a bit of leeway because he is Sir David Gray to the Hibs fans."