Hibs boss Gray on Brondby goal, beer shower and brilliant Euro memories as Easter Road club take aim at Danes

He can probably still taste the fine spray of Danish lager that came fizzing down from the away end at the Brondby Stadium. Even as someone who has scored the odd important goal in his career, this particularly moment of celebration stands out for David Gray.

As the Hibs boss prepares to lead his team into Europa League second qualifying round action against mighty Midtjylland, a return to Denmark obviously prompts special memories for the former captain. Specifically, a night in July of 2016 that, despite ultimately ending in penalty shoot-out heartbreak, meant a great deal to everyone at the club. Not least the travelling fans.

After a 1-0 defeat at Easter Road, those supporters travelled to the second leg with hope but little in the way expectation. But Gray’s goal just after the hour mark levelled up the tie – also a Europa League second qualifying round contest, if you can believe it – and prompted glorious scenes among the Hibees on tour.

John McGinn penalty miss cost Championship club dear

So, sure, John McGinn may have been left lamenting “my worst moment in football” after having his spot-kick saved in the shoot-out. But even that couldn’t spoil the experience for Gray, whose knack for finding the net was largely responsible for Hibs – still in the Scottish Championship at the time – being involved in European football.

The former captain, whose Scottish Cup-winning at goal at Hampden just a couple of months earlier delivered a UEFA bonus amid the mayhem, laughs as he recounts the tale of that night in the suburb to the west of Copenhagen. Even now, he can still remember some interesting details.

‘I could taste the beer!’ - Gray

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“Actually, scoring the goal was great,” said Gray. “And it was just a brilliant day, the game. I thought we were fantastic in the game. I was fortunate enough to score the goal.

“I think someone threw a pint over me when that went in! I could taste that in my mouth, actually, when the fans were celebrating. The scenes after it were amazing.

“But I know a lot of people that went over to the game, and the fans all talked about the trip and how good the actual trip was. We went over there and won on the day. Clearly, we went to extra time and lost on penalties.

“But it shows the level that we can ... Well, at the time, Brondby were a top side and still are a top side in Denmark. So I think these are games that you want to look forward to. These are brilliant memories that I was very fortunate to be involved in.

“When you come to this football club, you've got an opportunity to try and play in Europe and that doesn't come for everybody. And I think you need to look forward to that.”

Midtjylland are strong favourites to advance at the expense of a Hibs side who finished third in the Scottish Premiership last season, with the Danes having missed out on back-to-back league titles by just a single point. Gray is already on the hunt for intel on opponents who kick off their Danish Superliga campaign on July 20, at home to Odense Boldklub – Alasana Manneh’s old team.

“Yeah I think their season starts slightly before ours, their first game anyway,” said Gray, grateful to have avoided a club from one of the Scandinavian competitions already well underway, the gaffer adding: “So it's not as if they've been playing the summer leagues and they've played five or six competitive games already.

“They'll be gearing up towards that, but I think their first competitive game is the week before we play them over there. Clearly, we'll do as much work as we do with every opponent.

Hibs players should relish Midtjylland Europa League challenge

“We'll do as much as we possibly can to make sure the players know exactly what they're going into, what they're going to face. We'll have a game plan in place to go over there.

“Ultimately, the ambition is to get into the next round, and I think that's what, as I've already said to the players, they should relish. They should look forward to it, and it's a reward for such a good season last season that we want to keep this feel-good factor going.

“You can feel it already around the club, the fan base, everyone looking forward to it when the draw came out. So I think it's a real positive time at the football club and we want to keep that going.

“So yes, the work starts straight away as soon as you find out your opponent. Obviously, it'll be a really tough draw, but one we can really look forward to. It's the rewards.

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“You're always going to get a difficult opponent because of the result of the cup final, meaning we were unseeded. This is the position we find ourselves in.

“But it's a brilliant one to look forward to. It's a really good trip for the fans as well, and it's a great opportunity to test yourself against a team that has qualified for the Champions League. I know they went quite far in the competition, dropping into the Europa League last year.

“They've missed out on winning the league by a point, I think, domestically. So it'll be a tough test, but one that the players should definitely look forward to - and one we'll be going into with confidence.”

Your next Hibs read: Gray’s personal Euro history includes a mad dash from maternity ward to Molde