Shaun Maloney named Hibernian manager; ex-Celtic and Scotland player signs deal until end of 2024/25 season; Maloney was assistant to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez; Gary Caldwell returns to Easter Road as assistant
Monday 20 December 2021 21:34, UK
Hibernian have appointed Shaun Maloney as their new manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
The former Scotland international, 38, leaves his role as Belgium assistant - having joined Roberto Martinez's backroom team in 2018.
Maloney will be assisted by ex-Hibs captain Gary Caldwell at Easter Road and will take training on Monday for the first time following Sunday's League Cup final defeat against Celtic.
David Gray, who was caretaker following Ross' departure, will be a part of Maloney's coaching staff with Valerio Zuddas, Brian Doogan (head of technical support), and goalkeeping coach Craig Samson.
Hibernian are seventh in the Scottish Premiership table following a run of two wins in 11 matches.
"I have enjoyed meeting everyone this morning and looking forward to getting started and preparing for Aberdeen on Wednesday," Maloney told the club's official website.
"It is a challenge coming in at this time but it is an amazing challenge. It is up to myself and the coaching staff to find a solution to that. We will prepare the players for Aberdeen, we can't change everything overnight.
"It will take a bit of time for the players to understand how I want them to play, but the coaching process starts this morning and we will build from there.
"The connection between us and the supporters is key at the start. We have to try and look to excite and inspire the fans.
"I want to try and implement a style which I believe is the best way to win, it is not just for style's sake - I really believe it is the best way to win and excite the fans at the same time.
"We have to inspire the players to play a certain way and hopefully build a connection between myself, the players and the fans.
"I always felt there was a different way of playing when I was a player myself. In my late twenties, when we played against top teams and other nations I began to get exposed to different styles of play.
"Roberto Martinez was a big influence on me at that stage in my career and more recently in the last few years with Belgium. That influence has given me a deep desire to create a different style in Scotland.
"I am very open-minded, I obviously have my own ideas on the best way to win football matches. How quickly I can implement that time will tell.
"I am really excited to work with the players, we have some very talented and technical players.
"Hopefully the way we play will show that even more but we have to compete, we have to fight in every game, every training session and every moment if we want to achieve."
Hibernian CEO Ben Kensell, who led the search after sacking Ross, says the new manager will be backed in the January transfer window as the club look to move up the Premiership table.
"We are very happy to welcome Shaun as our new manager, in what is undoubtedly a very important appointment for Hibernian," said CEO Ben Kensell.
"Our recruitment for a new manager has been thorough, strategic, and centered around the clear vision we have for this football club.
"We wanted to acquire a manager who has an attacking mentality, who's progressive, and someone who is hungry for the opportunity to build something here at this big club.
"Shaun has been the standout candidate throughout this process as his idea of football is completely aligned with ours and the history of this football club.
"He believes in attacking, possession-based football, and has implemented it at the highest level with Roberto Martínez at Belgium.
"He is also a coach that wants to develop the players we have at this football club, as we have assembled a good squad. He's aligned with our focus on bringing through young talent through our development team and wants to work with young players.
"Shaun's a young coach and this is a big opportunity for him to show what we can do. We will support him in the upcoming transfer windows to help him achieve our ambitions here.
"We have real belief in Shaun, and he has huge belief in himself. He is determined to bring success here at Hibernian FC."
Leicester and Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans has backed Shaun Maloney to make a successful transition in his first managerial role with Hibs.
The 24-year-old worked with Maloney, who was part of Roberto Martinez's Belgium coaching staff, and he thinks his experience within a strong national team set-up will serve him well as he returns to Scotland.
"Firstly, congratulations to him, because I didn't know before the interview!" Tielemans said after learning of Maloney's appointment at Easter Road.
"I am sad for myself because he is a really good guy, a good person and I think he will do well as a manager because he has got the experience working firstly with one of the best squads as a national team.
"With Belgium we have a really good squad, with some really good players, really quality players, and he has done a really good job with us.
"He is really respected inside the group and is a very good professional - he knows as a player what it takes to win, to motivate players, to prepare players for games and that is what you want."
Speaking on Sky Sports News following Maloney's appointment at Easter Road, former Hibs boss John Collins said:
"I'm delighted for Shaun. He was a terrific footballer and he's served his apprenticeship in the coaching department over in Belgium with a top coach in Martinez. I'm sure he'll do very well and I wish him all the best.
"It's a testing job as there's an expectation, but I think it's a terrific first job for him.
"Everything is in place and there's a decent squad. There's a transfer window just opening so he'll be able to assess his squad in the next few weeks and hopefully he'll add to it in the window.
"I think he'll be looking to strengthen the squad. It's not easy in January, but I think it would be good if one or two came in.
"Obviously it's got to be quality players, it's not about numbers, it's about bringing in better players than you've already got."
