Jack Iredale ‘ready’ for Hibs debut after frustrating start for ex Bolton defender

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Jack Iredale is ready for his Hibs debut after a frustrating start to life in Edinburgh.

The centre-back was signed from Bolton on transfer deadline day, one of the defenders brought in by manager David Gray to help solve the issues at the back which have hindered the Hibees.

The Greenock-born star is yet to actually feature for the club with injury having kept him out until now and fellow new signings Marvin Ekpiteta and Warren O’Hora establishing themselves as a partnership.

But Iredale has worked his way back to fitness and could soon make his Hibs bow.

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Iredale ready to go for Hibs

Despite Ekpiteta and O’Hora being ever-presents, the 28-year-old will be needed at some point. Gray has faith that he is ready for that.

“If I called upon him, he’s ready to step in already,” he said. “I’ve seen that with how he’s trained. The priority now is just to try and keep him going and get him as fit as he can be.

“He’s been on the bench, he’s trained consistently, and he’s getting stronger every day. He’s a real good character in the group as well, which is great.

“He’s jumping about to try and get into the team and that’s the focus for him. There’s competition for places everywhere; him joining the squad now gives us competition everywhere.”

Hibs defensive woes

HIbs have conceded 11 goals in their seven league games, and while that is only the seventh most in the Premiership it is more than they would like.

Pundit Michael Stewart recently highlighted the Hibees’ inadequcies. He said: “He (Gray) said his players were fully aware of it (Motherwell set piece threat) and they had been working on it but whether Kwon wasn’t involved in that in training, I don’t know.

“But regardless of whether you were involved or not, this is just concentration. Everybody is picked up, it’s 3v3. But this is just ball watching, he’s not concentrating. He’s literally drifting away from the danger area and creating a huge area for Halliday to run into.

“For Hibs to concede to goal like that is absolute amateur hour. That is unbelievable defending, it literally is schoolboy stuff.”