Exclusive:Hibs gaffer's World Cup message to Scotland ace - Gray in Hanley 'long time' absence wish ahead of Brazil test
Easter Road boss supporting Steve Clarke’s men in bid to make history
Hibs boss David Gray admits he hopes Scotland World Cup warrior Grant Hanley is away from club duty for a ‘long time’ - because it’ll mean celebrating a history-shattering achievement for Steve Clarke’s national side. And he’s absolutely certain that the veteran central defender will come roaring back to Easter Road desperate to go straight into European action next month.
Hanley, who has started both of Scotland’s Group C games, is in contention to play against Brazil in tonight’s vital showdown in Miami. Clarke’s men could progress to the knock-out stages of a major tournament for the first time in the nation’s history with a win, draw – or even a narrow defeat, depending on results elsewhere.
Gray welcomed the majority of his squad back to pre-season training at East Mains earlier this week. Those involved in international games over the summer – excluding Hanley, the only Hibs player at the World Cup – have been given an extra week off. With the Scots potentially involved in a round of 32 game next week, there is no set date for Hanley’s return.
Defender is enjoying his experience
And the Hibs gaffer is hopeful that the most experienced member of his back line will be missing for a little longer, saying: “Grant is still at the World Cup just now and hopefully, for different reasons, I don't see Grant for a long time. Because that would mean the nation is really successful in the World Cup, which would be fantastic.
“Very much playing that one by ear, in terms of when he returns, to be honest. Knowing Grant, he won't want to miss the European stuff as well. So there'll be a bit of him thinking: ‘Can I do it all?’
“But clearly his focus right now is quite righly, along with the rest of the country, on Scotland. We're all massively behind them and supporting the team.
“I'm enjoying watching. I'm proud to be watching what the national team are doing.
“There are opportunities still to try and get out of the group, which is fantastic. It's never been done, so that'll be at the forefront of Grant’s mind.
“When I spoke to him about that in the last two or three weeks, it has all been about Scotland and making sure that’s his focus, which it is, clearly. I know how hard he's worked to put himself in that position.
“And this is a reward for it, which is playing at the very highest level. And I'm sure he's enjoying it. He is, because I spoke to him, and he told me how much he’s enjoying it.”
Happy to be back on the training ground and working with the group, Gray – building towards that UEFA Conference League second qualifying round in either Albania or Kosovo on July 23 - added: “As you'd imagine, the players are in a good place and good spirits coming back. And we’ve still got internationals to add back to the group, so they've had a slightly later return date because some of them went into that second week in June before the return. Not all of them, obviously.
“But they have a slightly later return date, just making sure that we're giving them a bit of downtime as well because it is a long, long season and. You want to make sure everybody's ready to go, peaking for that first European game.
“It's just an extra week. They're just a week behind. The pre-season trip to Ireland, we go there on Sunday, they'll all be back and ready to go before we go then.
“We're all travelling together, the group's all together in that first week. Their first two or three days might just look slightly different just because it’s their first two or three days.
International stars ‘not playing catch-up’ despite extra week off
“But the difference is they've not had the same period off, so you're not playing catch-up in terms of, they don't require a full pre-season physically compared to some of the boys that have been away for longer. It’s just making sure they have had a bit of a switch-off; I do think that's really important, that they do have the mental side away from the game to switch off, to reflect at times as well.
“Also any sort of knocks and niggles that you've been carrying, you can address those. But they don't require the same build-up that the other boys do.
“So, by the end of the full week in Ireland, I'd expect everybody to be in the exact same position, because we've got two games over there. And then we'll be ready to build up and ramp up the minutes, getting ready to make sure every single player is in the best frame of mind they can be for that European challenge.”