5 Hibs stars key to third place charge as one thrives in new role and another shows he's more than cult hero

It’s been a top run of form for Hibs where everyone has had to step up to the plate.

After overcoming a tough start to the season, David Gray has guided the team to a 16-game unbeaten run in the Premiership. It has made them favourites for third and a comfy win away at Rangers has only strengthened belief that they can hold off Aberdeen plus Dundee United post split.

This has been a true team effort but there have been some who have risen to the fore to become instigators of this run. Here are five players in particular who have been key men.

Jordan Smith

Let’s start from the back with the goalkeeper. Josef Bursik started the season as number one but performances dipped alongside the team at large and a call for change was clear from the punters. His first Premiership tart was a 3-3 draw against Aberdeen and since then, has provided a level of security at the back for defenders before him. Smith has the fourth lowest goals conceded rate per 90 in the division, with the rest of those in the top five all Rangers and Celtic keepers, while also facing more shots per 90 than Bursik. He’s also in the top 10 for saves but above all else, Smith does the basics very well and rarely are bungling errors made. That’s provided a platform for the defence to be built upon.

Martin Boyle

Man of the moment currently and steamrolling his way to 100 goals. Another talismanic performance and strike versus Rangers made it four games in a row with putting the ball in the other teams’ net. Gray has handed him a leadership role and off the back of it he has sprung into life.

He said: "I think this season, I've given him a little bit more responsibility in terms of that leadership role with the captain's armband at times when Joe Newell’s not playing. And I think he's massively benefiting from that, leading by example, showing why he's been so successful at this level. And it's not just on the pitch here, it's every day in training as well. His work effort, the way he trains. And we're definitely benefiting from that just now.”

Jack Iredale

Many may have viewed Iredale as a hit and hope signing towards the end of the window. He had some Scottish football experience with Morton but had mainly been around the EFL with Bolton and Cambridge United, a slow start in terms of appearances doing little to banish that kind of thinking. It’s well and truly in the bin now, with the centre-back pushing for an Australia call-up. He builds the play from the back for Hibs and is often the link between defence and midfield. Can step out with ease and not too bad in the tackle either. Has played 90 minutes in all but four games on this run, playing over an hour in each of those games. 9th in the league in terms of defenders for average pass length.

Rocky Bushiri

How can you not include this man? He just about beats Nicky Cadden to the post, and he’s been nothing short of excellent. But perhaps Bushiri comes in partly on being the man who kind of sums this full run up. It was a team that looked on its knees and primed for a clearout next summer. Out of contract at the end of this season and inconsistency in his game, what came next for Bushiri appeared uncertain too. Now he is likely to be not short of options with those errors replaced by calmness and composure, riding the crest of the wave his team are on to turn one of the league’s most dominant centre-backs. Cyriel Dessers got zero change out him at Ibrox.

Nectar Triantis

The culmination of his transformation from centre-back to midfielder is complete and in that role he should remain forevermore. So good has Triantis’ form been that Australia have called him up into their ranks. He’s all action, with the ability to win the ball back with ease and also show when to make the right movements, like his well timed run and goal against Motherwell in a 3-1 win. In the top 15 midfielders for recoveries and counter pressing recoveries, which shows the engine he has to keep that midfield room going.