Hibs hand Black Knights recruitment guru control for January window - and beyond

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Stewart already working on mid-season signings for gaffer Gray

Hibs hope to revolutionise their under-performing recruitment department with the appointment of Garvan Stewart. And the Easter Road club say appointing the Irishman will give them more access to the scouting resources of billionaire Bournemouth owner Bill Foley’s Black Knight group.

After a series of underwhelming transfer windows under a variety of different managers, Hibs fans will be hoping that the arrival of Stewart as head of recruitment will herald a new era in talent identification for their club. The new guru, who has been at Bournemouth for the paste 12 years as head of performance analysis and then head of recruitment analysis, starts work on Monday – with a January to-do list already top of his in tray.

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Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay hailed the arrival of Stewart, saying: “It’s great to be able to bring someone of Garvan’s calibre to the football club. He’s been part of a highly successful recruitment team at AFC Bournemouth and will add real experience and guile to our player identification department.

“Garvan’s expertise in data and analysis, and his knowledge of Bournemouth’s and Black Knight’s systems, will be invaluable for us, and will hugely enhance our recruitment process and strategy. I’m looking forward to having him on board.”

The political and practical of appointing someone so closely associated with the Black Knight group shouldn’t be underestimated, following a rocky beginning to the working relationship between Foley and Hibs. The American sporting magnate, who invested £6 million in exchange for a minority stake in the club earlier this year, getting his own man in the building is expected to strengthen ties between Hibs and other clubs in the Black Knight stable.

Bournemouth technical director Simon Francis has given the move his seal of approval, saying: “During his time at Bournemouth, Garvan demonstrated a great work ethic, professionalism, and the ability to connect player profiles to the needs of the club within the recruitment and data departments. We will continue to work closely with Garvan, as well as Malky and everyone at Hibernian to enhance on-pitch performance.”

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Hibs say Stewart, who worked closely with Eddie Howe before moving into Francis’ sphere of influence following the appointment of Andoni Iraola, will be involved in all aspects of recruitment. The 38-year-old has previously worked for the Welsh FA, Cardiff City, and Portsmouth.

In the statement confirming his appointment this evening, Hibs said: “An expert in his field, Stewart’s skillset will allow the club to reap the rewards from Black Knight Football’s scouting and player data resource. He will lead Hibernian FC’s recruitment department, reporting into Mackay, and will continue ongoing work leading into the January transfer window, whilst also preparing for the summer.”

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