Lennon’s men to go Dutch at Algarve training camp

Hibernian will play Dutch side Willem II in January as part of the club’s winter break programme, writes Patrick Mcpartlin.

Neil Lennon will take his side to the Algarve, in Portugal, for a week-long training camp during the Scottish Premiership shutdown.

And Hibs yesterday confirmed they will take on the Eredivisie outfit in a friendly on Friday 12 January at the Estadio Municipal de Vila Real de Santo António.

The Easter Road side know the venue well, having Sunday’s thriller against the other half of the Old Firm – “We could have won it and then we could have lost it” – the team are relishing the greater challenges of the Premiership, according to their flying wingman.

“We can’t wait to get out there again. It’ll be a tough ask but that’s why we’re in this league.” played Nottingham Forest there in a pre-season friendly in 2013. Willem II currently lie in 14th place in the Dutch top flight, and are managed by former Vitesse Arnhem and NAC Breda defender Erwin van de Looi. The Tilburgbased side can count a number of former internationalists among its former players, including Dutch trio Marc Overmars, Joris Mathijsen and Jaap Stam and Finnish defender Sami Hyppia.

Last time at Ibrox there was bags of controversy, a red card, victory for Hibs and Lennon engaging in friendly banter with the home crowd. “Aye not much happened,” Boyle smiled.

“The boss is a fiery character and games like this bring the best out of him. He loves them.”