THE CLAN McGREGOR
HAMILTON v HIBS Neil: I’d love to have 11 guys like Darren in the team – it would make my job easy
NEIL LENNON reckons having a Hibs team full of Darren McGregors would be a manager’s dream.
The Easter Road defender is back in the squad that will face Hamilton today after three months on the sidelines recovering from a knee op.
It’s unlikely injury-plagued McGregor will be pitched straight back into action on Accies’ unforgiving artificial surface having only returned to fitness.
But Lennon revealed he’d love to field a starting XI with 32-year-old McGregor’s drive because it would make his job much easier.
Lennon said: “If I had 11 McGregors then my job would be stress free. He has had a horrendous time over the years with injuries but has never let it get him down. He just bounces back.
“He looks strong and it’s good to see him training. He works like a demon in the gym and on his rehab.
“It might take time for him to get up to full speed but he’s in the squad and may feature.
“He has an aura about him and influence. He’s a really good type and he loves the club.
“He’s champing at the bit to get back and he has knocked on my door already.
“The plastic pitch is not great for the joints and we’re okay at centre-half but with the volume of games we have in December, it’s really good to have him back.”
While Lennon paid tribute to stalwart McGregor, Hibs striker Simon Murray was focused on Accies winger David Templeton.
The ex-Hearts and Rangers winger failed to win a contract with Dundee United following his Ibrox release last season.
Despite lacking fitness after eight months out of the game, former Tannadice star man Murray saw enough during Templeton’s trial in February to be impressed.
The Hibs hitman has now warned his team-mates to beware the threat of the 28-year-old who is enjoying a career revival with Accies and came back to haunt Gers with his goal last weekend.
Murray said: “When I was at United, he came in to train and you could see he was quick and had great feet.
“You could see he had great quality and he’s clever enough to drop into pockets of space.
“He really looks like he is getting back to the level he was at when was flying and got his move to Rangers.
“He is a really good player and we know that we’ll have a much better chance of winning if we find a way to stop him.”
Murray returns to New Douglas Park for the first time since failing to win Premiership promotion with United in his last game for the club in May.
And the 13-goal Hibees ace is now hoping to put the playoff final agony behind him by gunning down Accies.
Murray added: “That was tough to take. I desperately wanted to help United get back into the Premiership, even though I knew I was coming to Hibs.
“I’ve progressed with Hibs and I’m looking forward to going back and hopefully putting that behind me.
“You learn every day in football and that day was a big moment in my development.”