Our boss is a wanted man but he’s only just starting here at Hibs

THE Tigers are on the prowl with Hull City in pursuit of Paul Heckingbottom.

But Paul Hanlon hopes the Easter Road boss remains in situ to consolidate Hibs as the big beast of the Edinburgh football scene.

After replacing Neil Lennon in the Leith hotseat in February, the former Leeds United and Barnsley manager went ten league games unbeaten en-route to a top-six finish above city rivals Hearts.

And while the 41-year-old is on the shortlist to replace Nigel Adkins at Hull in the English Championship, Hanlon is excited about the future once Heckingbottom has had a first full pre-season to build a Hibs team in his own image.

‘The manager has been linked to Hull? You’ve just got to take it as a compliment,’ said the veteran defender.

‘Hibs is a big club but there’s always bigger about that will want to take your manager and take your players. I’ve seen it all before.

‘He’s doing a good job but he is really just getting started.

‘He got himself in the door and he started to mould the team that he wanted.

‘Now this is his first transfer window to put his squad together and I’m sure he’s not paying any attention to any speculation.

‘No doubt offers will come if he keeps doing well. It’s always going to happen if you’re playing well as a player or getting the right results as a manager. Bigger clubs take notice. But the only way that happens is for us to do well and that’s what we all want.

‘Last season, we finished top six and above our rivals which keeps the fans happy.

‘Our target for the new season is to finish higher than in the previous season and play as attractive football as we can.

‘If we get it spot on, then the fans will love watching it and we’ll get results more often than not.

‘We have seen bits of what the manager wants from us but he wants even more from us, even better from us — and that’s what we will be using pre-season for.’

Heckingbottom has already snapped up former Barnsley centre-back Adam Jackson and ex-Rotherham United midfielder Joe Newell. Scott Allan will be returning to the club for a third spell after signing a pre-contract in January as his Celtic deal entered its final months.

Hanlon, who is a Hibs fan, admits he gets as excited as the supporters about new arrivals at the club.

‘Yeah, because I’m a Hibs fan and I want Hibs to be as successful as possible,’ said the 2016 Scottish Cup winner.

‘The better players we get through the door is great for me because there’s more chance of being higher up the league, reaching cup finals and things like that.

‘I don’t know the two new lads personally and I haven’t seen too much of them playing.

‘But they both come with a good pedigree and the manager knows them well.

‘It will be good to have Scotty Allan coming back as well because he’s only going to make us better.’

Highly-rated defender Ryan Porteous is in line to start pre-season training next week after picking up season-ending knee damage in January.

So, too, is speedy winger Martin Boyle, who sustained a similar injury in the same month while on international duty with Australia.

‘They’ll be like two new signings,’ said Hanlon. ‘They were really disappointed after their injuries, especially the way it happened with Ryan’s coming so soon after Martin’s.

‘They’ve both worked so hard and it will be great to see them back in the squad ahead of the new season.

‘We have a group of players here at this club who have been through tough times together having to fight and scrap our way back up from the Championship.

‘That was difficult but that’s why we have enjoyed the better times in the last few years.

‘But we can’t rest. There’s too many good teams and players in the Premiership to be able to rest on your laurels.

‘And I’m sure, with the manager we’ve got, there will be no chance we will be standing still.’