McGREGOR TIPS ‘SIR DAVID’ AS THE RIGHT MAN FOR FINAL TILT
WHAT’S in a name? Quite a lot, actually, when it comes to striking a balance between addressing a long-term friend and the man who is now tasked with making vital decisions. As he prepares to lead Hibernian against Celtic in the League Cup final this afternoon, David Gray will be able to call on the support and encouragement of team-mates who know his character and key attributes.
Of the players who shared the stage back in 2016 when he was knighted as ‘Sir David’ following his last-gasp header to end the Easter Road side’s 114-year wait to lift the Scottish Cup, only three others who started that final against Rangers remain — captain Paul Hanlon, club veteran Lewis Stevenson and fellow defender Darren McGregor.
The latter has been impressed by how the interim manager has stepped up to the task following the departure of Jack Ross. However, it has suddenly made the group stop and think twice about how Gray should be approached. Gaffer? Boss?
‘We have not actually discussed it,’ said McGregor. ‘It’s been such a quick turnaround.
‘It’s still Davie boy — I don’t know if that’s disrespectful. I might need to start calling him gaffer to have a better chance of getting involved in the final... I might start that now.’
McGregor knows more than most how Gray works, having spent parts of their careers dealing with various injuries and having to watch from the sidelines.
Ross’s exit and the suddenness of today’s final against Celtic, all while trying to block out the noise of what is expected to be the arrival of Shaun Maloney as their new boss, hasn’t made things easy for Gray.
But McGregor knows the 33-year-old will be elevated to a whole new dimension if he guides them to glory.
‘He’ll just go up a couple of notches in everyone’s estimation,’ continued the defender. ‘He’s already Sir David — I don’t know if there’s anything above that.
‘It’s great for Davie, it’s been a seamless transition. I need to take my hat off to him. He just started coaching this year and he’s come in and done all the team talks and he’s got the respect straight off the bat, so it’s great having him to lead us out.
‘I’ve been friends with him for a long while but I’ve been really impressed by how he has stepped up to the mark. His time will come.
‘He’d probably say himself that he’s still learning but he’s done really well so far.
‘The year we spent on the bench, we got to know each other quite well. We had a lot of long talks. Davie was here the year before me and I played right centre-half and he played right-back for many a year, so we’ve got that bond.
‘I’m just delighted for him. He worked ever so hard in his playing career and has transitioned into coaching. He took that big step, still relatively young. He’s been given a chance and taken it with both hands. I hope he succeeds.
‘It’s a testament to Davie’s character that he’s stepped up to the mark. Before that, he hadn’t really spoken in front of the group or taken a training session, so to go from there to in at the deep end with the help of Sammy (Craig Samson) and Eddie May shows he’s cut from a different cloth and definitely a manager in waiting.’
Gray does not feel strange addressing McGregor as his manager, saying: ‘The relationship has not changed on that front. Daz is someone I lean on, he is someone I speak to all the time just because of the type of person he is. There is so much respect for him at the club and he thoroughly deserves it.
‘I think we are very fortunate at the club that we have a real mixture in the dressing room with the younger players coming through and obviously ones like Lewie, Paul and Daz, who have been here all the time and can set a standard.
‘That is something that they do and the level of professionalism they have shown is why they have all had such successful careers.
‘It is something new to me, something that I have never really done before, and it is a challenge. As captain, I have had conversations with players, so that is not new.
‘I know you are dealing with things in a different way and being viewed in a different way but I do think it helps I have played in the same team and, obviously, worked with them in a coaching capacity over the last six months as well.
‘It is a friendly place, I know the people here well and, ultimately, I think we are in a position where we all want to do the best thing.’