Hibs complete first Deadline Day signing with Sunderland defender arriving on loan

Hibs have signed defender Nectarios Triantis on loan from Sunderland until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

The 20-year old centre back is a player who is familiar to head coach Nick Montgomery, having worked under him at Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners before moving to the Stadium of Light last year. The Australian youth international becomes Hibs first signing of Deadline Day while a deal for Bournemouth defender Owen Bevan is still in the works.

The Hibees have had an interest in Triantis, who has managed two first team appearances for Sunderland since his summer switch, throughout the month of January. The Edinburgh Evening News understands that while a deal was not always likely, situations at the EFL Championship club changed which allowed the centre back to make the switch before the window shut.

On the defender’s arrival, Hibernian FC Head Coach Nick Montgomery commented: “Nectar is a young player that I know very well from my time in Australia. I signed him for the Mariners and gave him his A-League debut as I saw huge potential in him.

“He was a mainstay in our Championship winning team before joining Sunderland in the summer. Although he might not have played much this summer, when he has featured, he’s performed well. We have been chasing Nectar for some time, and although we thought he’d remain at Sunderland, circumstances changed last night, and we made a move to bring him to Hibs.

“I’m really happy to bring Nectar to the Club and look forward to him meeting the players at HTC. He adds to the quality we’ve already brought in during this window.”

The defender played a big part for Montgomery as Central Coast Mariners denied all the odds to be crowned A-League Champions. He was also named in the PFA A-League Team of the Season last year.