Hibs boss David Gray thinks loanee Nectar Triantis is developing into an effective number six.
Triantis rejoined Hibs in the summer on loan from Sunderland and has played more as a defensive midfielder having been more familiar with the centre-back role.
The 21-year-old has been a key member of the Hibs team this season and is a favourite of Gray’s, with the manager starting him in every Premiership game he’s been available for.
Gray has now praised Triantis for better levels of consistency in recent weeks and being able to adapt to a new position.
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Gray hails Hibs loanee Nectar Triantis
The Hibs boss said: “I think he’s had a couple of tough moments in his Hibs career, one thing he always does is he always takes responsibility, which is great.
“I think he’s in the last couple of weeks shown a level of consistency again. He’s improving all the time, you forget he’s still a young boy, he’s still learning.
“He’s still probably adapting as well at times to a different position, because he’s not played as many games in the middle of the pitch as he has at centre-back in recent years.
“I think he’s done well in there, and I think it’s definitely where I see him playing.”
Triantis has learned from ill-discipline
Triantis was largely to blame for Hibs’ 2-1 loss to Motherwell at the start of October as his red card allowed the Steelmen to turn the game on its head.
He then had to work on striking a balance between remaining competitive and avoiding the referee’s book. But Gray thinks the midfielder has learned from that episode.
The boss went on: “Dealing with mistakes at times as well, not always getting it right. If I go back to his red card for example, I think that affected him a little bit, because he’s playing the game at times.
“Not wanting to get booked or whatever it might be. It probably affected him slightly, but I think in the last two or three weeks he’s been much more like himself, much more dominating in the middle of the pitch.
“I think his performances have been much higher as a reflection of being more on the front foot and not worrying about giving away fouls or playing with a fear of getting a yellow card because of what happened previously.
“So he’s learnt from that which is great, but he needs to keep kicking on now and really push on, because he has still got competition in there as well with the rest of the players within the squad.”