Harris O'Connor: Former Rangers kid handed Hibs chance as Jack Ross looks to bolster defence

Former Rangers centre-back Harris O’Connor is training with Hibs in the hopes of impressing Jack Ross, who is looking to add to his defensive options.

Harris O'Connor is training with Hibs with a view to winning a deal

The 19-year-old is a free agent after being released by the Ibrox side during the summer and has already had training spells with Burnley, Sheffield United, and Stoke City.

O’Connor is understood to remain an option for some of those clubs but the Daily Record is reporting that the Scotland youth internationalist didn’t want to pass up the chance to win a deal at Easter Road.

Both the Blades and the Potters were said to be close to signing the teenager but he remains unattached.

A left-sided centre-back, O’Connor is capable of operating at left-back and had a spell on loan at Brechin City last season, playing 12 games.

He came through the youth ranks at Charlton and Kilmarnock before joining the Gers, signing his first professional deal in April 2018.

O’Connor has also attracted attention from Watford and Sunderland and spent time on trial at Airdrie earlier this summer, turning out for the Diamonds in pre-season games on the right of a back three.

Former Hibs captain Ian Murray was impressed with the defender, telling Lanarkshire Live: “Harris is a really talented player but he is still young.

"We just need to weigh up the options with him and be fair to him in terms of how any minutes he could get at Airdrie next season.”

Hibs head coach Ross admitted after Sunday’s 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw with Dundee that adding to his defensive options was a priority. Club captain Paul Hanlon is currently sidelined after suffering a concussion earlier this month while vice-captain Paul McGinn was forced off through illness at Dens Park.

The Easter Road side are short at centre-back with defensive midfielder Alex Gogic utilised there in pre-season alongside natural centre-halves Hanlon, Darren McGregor, and Ryan Porteous.

Hibs remain interested in St Johnstone defender Jamie McCart but any movement on that front will likely hinge on how the McDiarmid Park side fares in Europe when they meet LASK in the second leg of their Europa Conference League play-off clash.

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