Alan Stubbs hails Hibs board for backing on new signings

Hibs boss Alan Stubbs has hailed the backing he's getting from the Easter Road board as he prepares to make Kevin Thomson his fourth signing of the January transfer window.

Kevin Thomson is set to return to Hibs

Having moved swiftly to snap up striker Chris Dagnall and Norwegian defender Niklas Gunnarsson, Stubbs clinched a loan deal to bring Celtic hitman Anthony Stokes back to Easter Road. Now midfelder Thomson, who left Dundee last week, is also poised to be reunited with the Capital club for a second time.

But, Stubbs insisted, those moves are only the latest indication of the support he’s received since he became head coach 18 months ago, charged with reviving a club reeling from the devastation of relegation.

Since then, the former Celtic and Everton defender has pulled off a number of notable signings in the likes of Scott Allan and Fraser Fyvie while also persuading a string of players, many of them largely unknown to the Easter Road faithful, to join the Champioship club.

Today he said: “From the first day I came here, the support I have had has been fantastic – everything I have wanted to implement within the club and its structure.

“I’ve had nothing but support from the chairman [Rod Petrie], Leeann Dempster [chief executive], George Craig [head of football operations], the rest of the board and, as importantly, the fans who have played a big part in all of this through season tickets, the shares issue and so on.

“It’s been a real colective movement forward with the club and it’s very reassuring that I can get on with my job to try to take the club forward and build it back up again.

“Whenever I have something in mind, there’s always a reason for it. I do not do anything tongue-in-cheek. Everything has to be realistic. I have to say we are all very ambitious. We all want the same thing and that is for the football club to get back in to the top flight where we belong.

“There’s still a lot of hard work to be done but we have certainly given ourselves the best opportunity to do that.”

Stubbs hailed the capture of Stokes in the wake of competition from Premiership clubs Inverness Caley and Dundee United as well as a clutch of sides in England as a “signature” signing but believes the feelgood factor at play around Easter Road makes it easier to attract such players.

He said: “There’s a lot of people talking about the club again in the right way and in the right manner which is very positive. Players speak. It’s never changed. Players speak to other players at other clubs and tell them about things that are going on whether it’s me, my staff, the training ground, the club.

“People want to be part of that. It’s a great sign when players are enjoying themselves. We want to bring good talented players to the club and I feel we’ve been very successful in doing that.”