Exclusive:Ex-Newcastle star talks Hibs unbeaten run, magic memories - and how he KNEW boss Gray would turn season around

Memories to last a lifetime. An achievement that speaks to the bond of players who rallied behind an under-pressure gaffer – and stared down the crisis that threatened to engulf everyone at Easter Road not so very long ago.

When Dwight Gayle speaks about what it means to be part of this Hibs team, a side whose unbeaten league run of 17 games matches a record set way, way back in 1948, the Premier League veteran doesn’t shy away from either the historical comparison – or its effect on the current squad. If anything, he’s trying to get some of his younger team-mates to recognise just how special this season has become. With potentially better to follow.

Gayle, happy to be mentioned in the same breath as the title-winning heroes of 77 years ago, back when the Famous Five were building their individual and collective reputations for greatness, revealed: “Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to lie, it's something that I brought up to the boys as we're going out to do the running at the end of the Dundee game. It's no mean feat to do something like that. And it brings a togetherness, something we’ve achieved together.

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“We'll be able to look back at the end of our careers - mine obviously being a lot sooner than the others! But we can all look back at it and be like, that togetherness that we had in the dressing room is difficult to match. And I think that everyone will have this time in their memories when they look back.

“Yeah, of course, there's going to be a lot that goes into this kind of run, including maybe a bit of luck. But we’re now in a place where we can react positively to anything that goes against us.

“If things perhaps are not going our way for 10, 15 minutes, we're able to change it, whether that be tactically from the gaffer or just a bit harder work from the boys. I think it's a really good omen that we react very well to stuff like that.”

Formerly of Newcastle, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Stoke – pause for breath – and Derby, among others, Gayle has been part of elite environments before. Worked for some decent managers, too, with Rafa Benitez probably the stand-out in a strong field of gaffers.

The 35-year-old is unequivocal in his praise of the first-year head coach who signed him in the summer, singling out David Gray for his cool head and steady demeanour at a time when Hibs couldn’t buy a win. Even when everything was going against them, the boss found a way to keep everyone on board.

“The one thing this team has is strength,” said Gayle. “That is obvious in the reaction to things not going well when we concede - or even at the beginning of the season.

“Honestly, I can't explain what training was like. Still, even when we were losing every week. It was still very positive.

“And the gaffer was unbelievable for that. He was able to obviously put the games aside and come in to do the next week's agenda and tactics and be in a positive mood.

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“I think that is testament to what we've achieved now because of the way he's set it out. And I think the boys have just copied that sort of thing into every training session and into matches. It means we were able to just adapt to things very well.

“I said it from the start, to be fair, that the gaffer here is different class. His mannerisms are absolutely spot on for a manager. He's exactly what you want.

“He obviously sets out tactically very well and I'm sure he'll do very well in the game. Yeah, he's got three Manager of the Month awards already.

“Even considering where we were as recently as December, I could have seen that coming, because I saw his quality up close. Hopefully he gets one or two more awards, because he’s done fantastically well – and I’m really pleased for him.”

That Gray has put himself in the running for Manager of the Year honours is fairly clear. Although a lot will obviously depend on how the closing weeks of the campaign pan out.

Having put themselves in such a deep hole with a calamitous start to the campaign, with the fact that they were bottom of the Scottish Premiership in early December underlining the scale of the crisis, Hibs have worked miracles to put themselves three points clear in third place. Even considering their superior goal difference in relation to nearest challengers Dundee United and Aberdeen, however, they’ll have to keep on working wonders to hold onto that ‘Best of the Rest’ crown.

Gayle, still adjusting slightly to playing in an elite division that splits in two ahead of the closing five rounds of fixtures, admitted: “Yeah, we're obviously very happy with where we are at the moment. But we know we've got five big games afterwards where we're going to have to perform at our best to get the results that we want to finish with at the end of the season.

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“This is all new to me, so I’ve had to learn about the split. Seeing the results at the weekend, I just assumed we would have three home games and two away – but clearly not. But the format doesn’t matter if you perform at your best in every game.”

For the record, Gayle gives short shrift to the idea of carrying on beyond the end of the season. Despite saying he feels “really good” and able to contribute over the closing stretch.

On the scoresheet again at the weekend, he seems like a guy loving every minute of this farewell tour. Giving everything he’s got for the cause, too.

And, of course, he’s making memories. A derby winner at Tynecastle. Playing in wins over both Celtic AND Rangers just weeks apart. Being part of a record run that, for all we know, may stand for another three quarters of a century.

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