Hibs boss 'flattered and humbled' to be named alongside Celtic counterpart Rodgers on top honour shortlist

Hibs boss David Gray has spoken about taking his place on a three-man shortlist for PFA Scotland Manager of the Year honours. And he’s revealed that he could have voted for “four or five” different contenders to be named Scotland’s top boss.

Treble-chasing Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Falkirk’s John McGlynn, who hopes to eventually drag the Bairns to the Championship title tonight, joined Gray in a top three based on voting by members of Scotland’s Managers and Coaches Association. The winner will be named at a glitzy dinner in Glasgow on Sunday night.

David Gray a TREBLE Manager of the Month winner

Gray, the first Hibs boss to pick up three SPFL Manager of the Month awards in a single season, revealed: “I’m very flattered. As you said, there's no higher accolade than that. Fellow managers are voting for you so I'm very humbled to be in that position.

“When I think about the managers, how difficult the job is at every single level, every single club. But it's also a reflection, as I've said all season, on the group, the hard work of the players.

“The players are the ones that go over the line every week. They have to try and put the game plan in place to try and get positive results - and they're the ones that have to deliver it. Then the hard work of every single member of staff in this building every single day and at the stadium, they're all pulling in the same direction.

“As I say, I'm the one that, when things are going well, people will talk about it - and then when things go wrong, it’s my responsibility. I'm very flattered but also very appreciative of all the hard work from everybody involved at Hibernian Football Club because it's a reflection on that.”

Asked who he’d voted for himself, Gray – who has taken his team from the foot of the table to the race for third place in the Scottish Premiership in his first season in management - insisted: “That’s a private one because I don't think it was right to single anybody out in front of anybody else. That's a confidential thing.

“There could have been four or five you could have named, actually. Because I think I'm very much in a position now where I fully understand how difficult it is. It's a job at every single level, at every single club for very different situations and scenarios, it's never as simple as just having the best team and winning games of football.”

Hibs saw their unbeaten league run stopped short at a club record-equalling 17 games with last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Now sitting clear of the Dons on goal difference, the onus is on Gray’s men to bounce back with a win over Dundee United – three points adrift in the battle to be crowned Best of the Rest behind Scotland’s big two – at Easter Road tomorrow afternoon.

Who will claim Scottish Premiership Best of Rest title?

Gray believes the race for third may well go down to the wire, pointing out: “I think it's been that way for the right few weeks now, when you think back. The run we've been on, 17 games undefeated in the league and we were still right in amongst it, shows you how tight the league is - and how many twists and turns there's been along the way.

“The form table going into the split, I think the top three teams in the country at that time was us, Aberdeen and Dundee United which shows you that race for third was always going to be really interesting. St Mirren coming to the party at the very end as well, putting some runs together as well.

“I think it’s all to play for. Sometimes get to the end of the season in the split and, if you've got absolutely nothing to play for, your season can fizzle out.

“It's certainly not going to do that. Every single team have got something to play for, and I think that's going to make it really interesting.”

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