Hibernian head to Ibrox on Saturday with confidence soaring and history in their sights, as David Gray’s high-flying side look to extend their remarkable unbeaten league run to 16 matches – and potentially take a huge scalp in the process.
The Easter Road outfit sit third in the Scottish Premiership, a point clear in the race for guaranteed European football, and have already claimed landmark victories this season over Celtic, Hearts (home and away), and Aberdeen.
Now, they’re targeting a long-overdue win at Ibrox, where they haven’t tasted league success since 2018.
Ahead of the trip to Glasgow, Gray – fresh from being named Premiership Manager of the Month for the third time in four months – admitted that an away win over Rangers would rank among his finest moments in the Hibs dugout.
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“Right up there, right at the very top,” Gray said. “It’s a very difficult place to go, 2018 was the last time we won there in the league, so it is a huge challenge.”
Gray, who also scooped the monthly award in December and February, credited the team’s togetherness and consistency for their continued form.
“When you come and play for this club, these are the kind of games you are able to test yourself. These are the games I used to love playing in – on the big stage, against the top teams,” he added.
“The pressure will be on Rangers as well, with the expectation that comes at a club like that, but we can’t go into the game in any better frame of mind. The players have been there already this season. We had a good performance the last time, didn’t get the result we wanted, but we’ve certainly progressed since then.”
The impressive run – which includes a 2-1 victory over Celtic at Easter Road and memorable displays in both Edinburgh derbies – has placed Hibs firmly in the conversation for European qualification after a disappointing start to their Premiership campaign.
And Gray was keen to emphasise that his latest personal accolade was a reflection of collective effort.
“It’s very nice for all the positive reasons that come with that, but it’s very much a reflection again on all the efforts of the players, the staff, everyone pulling in the same direction. The run we’ve been on – it’s something that we’re taking great pride in," he explained.
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There was further encouragement for Hibs fans with news that winger Nicky Cadden could return to the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in the Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat to Celtic on March 9.
“Yes, he’s trained this week, which has been great,” said Gray. “When you first see his injury, you always worry for how long it could be, especially when you get towards the end of the season – is he only going to be back for a couple of games if it’s a significant one? – but he’s really recovered quickly.
“He’s got a chance to be involved, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
