Interim Hibs manager David Gray has paid tribute to ex Easter Road gaffer Jack Ross after his sacking this week and insists he’s “always grateful” after Ross gave him his first taste of coaching.
The Easter Road legend was handed interim charge while the search for a new boss goes on and Gray was quick to highlight the excellent work Ross had done at EasterRoad before his departure.
Gray is the main man at Hibs for the forseeable future (Photo by Callum Landells/Getty Images)
“The first thing I would say is the manager has been brilliant with me, obviously he gave me the opportunity as first-team coach and to start my career away from the playing side, so I was always very grateful for that and he’s been brilliant with me from the minute I came in,” Gray said.
“(He was) Great to work with, himself and Pottsy (John Potter) as well. The relationship was different. As a player when a manager leaves it’s a little bit different. I felt a lot closer to Jack.
“I’ve worked closely with him over the last six months. Even before that I was his captain, you’re in contact with him every single day.
“I’ve learned a lot and he just said to me yesterday ‘I just want to wish you all the best’ and I thanked him for everything he’s done for me personally.
“And not just that – you make sure you thank him for what he’s done for the football club. I think when he joined we were second bottom in the league. Since then we finished third last season which is fantastic, we’ve not done that for a number of years, and been in cup finals, semi-finals.
“So I think he’s definitely left the place in a far better place than when he inherited it. He’s brought some really exciting younger players through that he’s given a chance and I think that’s all credit to what he’s done – him and his staff.”
While he is in interim charge of Hibs just now, Gray wouldn’t be drawn on wether he’d be intererested in the role on a full-time basis.
The former defender thinks it would be “disrespectful” to talk about any job other than the one he’s currently doing and is “determined” to try and turn Hibs’ recent woeful form around, adding: “I wouldn’t say I’m happy to be doing what I’m dong right now because it’s a result of two people losing their job but it’s something I’m determined to do to the best of my ability.
“I think it would be disrespectful to talk about myself in any other role other than the job I’ve been given at the minute, which is to help the team as best I can.
“It’s 24 hours since two people lost their job which is never nice, so I’m not going to talk about myself in any way in the future, it’s about the here and now which is the job I’ve been given – to prepare the team as best we can.”
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