Hibs give green light to Johnson

LEE JOHNSON is poised to be named as Hibs’ next manager after convincing the Easter Road board that his attacking brand of football is the perfect fit for them.

The 40-year-old former Hearts player could be officially confirmed today after edging out former Malmo manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Johnson has been out of the game since being sacked by Sunderland in January and boasts a wealth of managerial experience with Bristol City, Barnsley and Oldham.

After firing two managers in one season and finishing eighth in the Premiership, owner Ron Gordon and the club hierarchy have taken their time to secure Shaun Maloney’s replacement and are now confident Johnson is the man who can take them back into Europe and deliver silverware.

Johnson (right), who also played for Kilmarnock at the end of his career, will be joined by his long-time assistant Jamie McAllister, who was a team-mate at Bristol City and Hearts.

A potential move for Tomasson had captured the imagination of many Hibs supporters after he guided Malmo to the Champions League this season.

The Dane impressed in his talks with the club but it was felt that Johnson was less of a risk given his huge experience as a player and manager in Britain.

Johnson will be backed in the transfer market this summer as the club look to put a forgettable campaign behind them.

One of the manager’s first tasks will be to rubber stamp the deal to bring in David Marshall as first-choice goalkeeper.

Johnson will also have to finalise his backroom staff. David Gray has twice been in interim charge in the past year and would be seen as vital for continuity, while veteran defender Darren McGregor has also spoken about moving into coaching.

Johnson was the youngest manager in the Football League when he became

Oldham manager aged just 31 in 2013. Having ensured survival, he made such good progress at the League One side that rivals Barnsley made a successful move for him in 2015. Having guided them from 22nd to 12th place over season 2015-16, he moved to Bristol City where he stabilised the club and guided them to the semi-finals of the League Cup — beating Manchester United along the way. He was appointed Sunderland boss in December 2020 but was sacked earlier this year despite the

Black Cats sitting third in League One and having won the 2021 EFL Trophy by beating Tranmere.

Meanwhile, Hibs veteran Lewis Stevenson has admitted there were times when he ‘hated’ last season as the team underperformed.

The 34-year-old, who was named the Hibs Players’ Player of the Year at an awards event last Sunday night, refused to sugarcoat what was a disappointing campaign for the club.

‘Obviously in the league we did not finish as high as we wanted to, but we’ve had some good moments and some very nearly moments and it could have been a good season for us,’ he said.

‘It’s been strange, I’ve played a lot of different positions, there have been times when I’ve enjoyed it, times when I’ve hated it as well and I’ve been as frustrated as the fans are.’

Stevenson, who has won the Scottish Cup and League Cup in his time with Hibs, insists being recognised by his team-mates still means a lot to him.

‘Fans and players are the most important thing in a football club,’ he added.

‘The fans at Hibs, the people you work with — they see the work you do and to get voted by them is nice.’