Hibs fans will love Nick Montgomery’s brilliant words on what he wants his team to embody

Nick Montgomery has been speaking about the type of team he wants Hibs to be

Nick Montgomery wants to marry steel with style as he reshapes Hibs in his own image. Praised for his expansive footballing ambitions after one game at the helm, Montgomery makes his home debut as head coach tomorrow.

And he’s promised that competing for every blade of grass will be just as important to him as playing out from the back or throwing bodies into attack.

Visiting St Johnstone boss Steven McLean, who played against the new Hibs gaffer in the Sheffield derby, said this week that he remembers a hard-tackling opponent who liked to “mix it” in the middle of the park.

Former United player Mongomery laughed as he said: “Oh, he said that, did he? Yeah, obviously I liked to battle.

“I played in the middle of the park, wasn’t the most technical player but I was a competitor. Steven’s probably got a few marks on his shins from me. Best keep his distance in the dugout tomorrow!”

Asked if his team would take a similarly aggressive approach to games, the 41-year-old Englishman insisted: “To play for this club, you have to play with your heart on your sleeve, the way I’ve always played. You give 100 per cent. That means you compete, No. 1. It doesn’t matter what level of football you’re at, if you don’t compete, you’re never going to win a game.

“You hope that you compete with everybody - and the footballing ability comes over the top of that. There are no guarantees you will win any game - but my team will always compete.”

Hibs have three home games over the next eight days – a run of fixtures that Montgomery sees as an ideal opportunity to learn more about his squad.

“At the end of the day, you can do what you want in training - but the game is the real indicator of where you’re at,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the three games; there are positives from last week and plenty to build on. It gives us a real opportunity at home to get the crowd behind us, get to know everybody and hopefully get everyone going.”