‘I love to play on the front foot, to press teams, be aggressive’
broke down earlier this week. Heckingbottom, a former Manchester United youth player, said he hoped to install Sir Alex Ferguson’s values at Easter Road in his first interview last night. “He didn’t have to spend the time to get to know young players but he did,” he told Hibs TV.
The new manager, aware Hibs fans care passionately about how the game is played, has also outlined his preferred style of football. “I love to play on the front foot, to press teams, be aggressive and win the ball high up the park,” he said.
Heckingbottom has not worked in management since a four-month spell at Leeds United came to an end last summer to make way for Marcelo Bielsa. Heckingbottom said he had missed being involved in management and had been “looking for the right opportunity” to return.
His short-term aim he said was to “win games and push for the top six”. He will make his bow against Hamilton Accies at Easter Road on Saturday. A win will see Hibs move up to seventh place above Motherwell, temporarily at least. The Fir Park side host Hearts on Sunday. Heckingbottom called for the fans to get behind the players following an unsettled period at the club.
Robbiestockdalewillcome in to work alongside Heckingbottom as his assistant. Stockdale left the coaching staff at Sunderland following Jack Ross’s appointment as manager in the summer.
The former defender, capped five times by Berti Vogts in the early 2000s, has not been involved in club football in Scotland previously and nor has he worked with Heckingbottom before. “I have known him for a lot of years, he is a good coach, and he understands what I am after,” said Heckingbottom.
The new Easter Road manager already knows one Hibs player well having signed midfielder Stevie Mallan for Barnsley from St Mirren. “He is one of the best I have seen at shooting from distance,” he said. “He worked hard to improve his game when he was down south. I left before him so I do not what happened to him in the end (at Barnsley) and why he decided to leave but if he is like me, then he was probably impressed by this club and the set-up and saw it as a really good way to progress his career. It will be good to catch up with him again because he has a lot of good qualities.”
Easter Road chairman Rod Petrie said he is looking forward to seeing what Heckingbottom and Stockdale “have to bring to the Hibernian Training Centre and Easter Road stadium” in a statement welcoming the new managerial team.
Chief executive Leeann Dempster, who along with director of football George Craig took charge of the recruitment process, said Heckingbottom made “a really positive impression on us from our first meeting with him”. She added that “his work at Barnsely speaks for itself”. Heckingbottom won promotion to the Championship while in charge at the Oakwell club but left a year ago this month shortly after signing a new contract to join Leeds United. He also won the Football League Trophy while with Barnsley.
“Paul excelled throughout the interview process,” added Dempster. “He is bright, driven and hungry to help drive the club forward. As a board we will do all that we can to assist him in his endeavours.
“With the structure we already have in place, Paul is the right person to embrace that support and take it to a new level,” she continued.
“On behalf of everyone at Hibernian, we would like to extend a warm welcome to both Paul and Robbie.”
0 New Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom at East Mains last night.