Paul Hanlon discusses his future after surpassing another Hibs milestone

Paul Hanlon insists he still has a “few more years” in the tank as a Hibs first-team player – after breaking into the club’s top five for record appearances.
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The 32-year-old, who made his debut in Mixu Paatelainen’s first game in charge 15 years ago, surpassed Famous Five member Willie Ormond with his 507th outing in the victory over Motherwell at Easter Road on Saturday.

Teammate Lewis Stevenson, who clocked his 550th appearance from the bench at the weekend, is fourth in the list, with Pat Stanton (617), Arthur Duncan (626) and Gordon Smith (636) the only other players ahead of the club captain.

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“It’s nice to join them in the top five,” said Hanlon. “I knew recently I could get there. There are a lot of really good players around that area in terms of appearances. It’s nice to get that landmark, but it was just another game and it’s all about winning.”

Paul Hanlon is up to fifth on the list of Hibs club record appearances and says he still has a few years left in him at Easter Road. Picture: Ross Parker / SNSPaul Hanlon is up to fifth on the list of Hibs club record appearances and says he still has a few years left in him at Easter Road. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS
Paul Hanlon is up to fifth on the list of Hibs club record appearances and says he still has a few years left in him at Easter Road. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS

Hanlon is in good form after missing the start of the season following knee surgery. He hopes to stay injury-free for long enough to add many more appearances to his tally. His current contract runs until the summer of 2024.

“I like to think I’ve got a few more years left in me in terms of playing every week and contributing to the team,” he added. “That will be my main focus and wherever I end up on these kinds of records – it will be what it is. I need to keep fit and stay in the team. I’m enjoying it just now. I’m feeling fit and we’re winning games. That’s the main thing.”

The centre-back’s good form is mirroring the team. Hibs are third in the table after four wins in a row, conceding just one goal in the process. Hanlon puts it down to consistency of selection and an increased understanding of manager Lee Johnson’s methods.

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“We’ve kept the same sort of team over the last few games and the back four is working well together,” Hanlon explained. “We’ve done a lot of work on the training ground. The midfield is helping us too, especially Nohan Kenneh in front of us. He’s doing a great job and it’s kind of all coming together. We’re all understanding each other a bit more. It’s probably given us that base to go and win games.”

The security and influence provided by goalkeeper David Marshall’s influence has also played a big part. “He is definitely right up there with any goalkeeper I’ve played with,” added Hanlon. “He seems to have the whole package and you would expect that with the level he has played at, shot-stopper, calming influence. With his feet he is incredible and a great addition to our squad.”

Hanlon believes Hibs will have to raise their game again to maintain a positive run of results away to Dundee United on Tuesday night. Victory would open up a four-point gap in third place.

He continued: “It’s a massive game for us. If you look at their squad individually there are a lot of talented players, so we need to perform well and probably better than we did at the weekend. If we do that we’re more than confident we can get a win and that would put us in a good position.”