Hibs join forces with former Hajduk Split and Legia Warsaw man Ivan Kepčija in bid to boost player recruitment

The Easter Road side is hopeful that the connection will help boost its player recruitment process.

Kepčija, who has been involved in coaching since 2004, worked closely with the Croatian football federation on its curriculum for development and spent time heading up the respected Dinamo Zagreb Academy as well as a stint coaching the Croatian Under-19 national team.

More recently he has consulted with the ownership of Brentford and Midtjylland among others.

Hibs Sporting Director Graeme Mathie described the relationship as a “real benefit”, adding: “As part of our strategic plan we want to be known as the best club in Scotland for identifying and developing the very best domestic talent, but we also want to be known for having an ability to identify and recruit from key international markets.

“This agreement allows us to have access to Ivan Kepčija, who is a highly experienced Head of Recruitment and Sporting Director within international markets which are accessible for us.

“Ivan will help to lead on our recruitment processes and help to bring together our resources to allow us to further develop our recruitment function.

“In addition, and when COVID regulations allow, he will also visit the Hibernian Academy to share his ideas on player development models from Croatia.

“I am excited to add Ivan and his company to our network and look forward to working with them in the coming weeks and months.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.