Paul Hanlon has stepped up his bid to feature in this weekend's Edinburgh derby by playing in a Hibs development match.
The Easter Road club welcome city rivals Hearts to Leith on Sunday for Lee Johnson's first taste of the big match as a manager. He is slowly gathering a full squad after a summer plagued by injury and work permit issues, with the club captain one player yet to feature under him.
Hanlon started in a Development Squad game versus Championship club Queen's Park this afternoon, with Jake Doyle-Hayes and Demetri Mitchell also involved after recent knocks. Fellow first-team players Kevin Dabrowski, Lewis Miller and Momodou Bojang also got minutes into their legs as Hibs look to build on Saturday's 1-0 away win at St Johnstone. Also starting the match was Darren McGregor, who is in a dual player-coach role with the development and U18s squads. One of his main aims is helping aspiring Hibees youngsters develop.
READ MORE: Rocky Bushiri proves Hibs hero as he nets last-minute winner to secure victory in league opener
He is loving his role, telling club media: “The first thing we say to them when they walk through the door is ‘attitude’ - it determines how far you go in the game.
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"I think every single one of them has shown that regardless of the opposition. We’ve played various teams, from junior teams all the way up to the Arsenal U18 and every time their application has been tremendous.
"So I can’t ask for much more. Ultimately you could be in the first team in 12-18 months. The opportunity is there for them, and they’re taking it every game I’ve been involved with, they’ve been tremendous.”
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