Hibs legend Gray addresses chances of retaining superstar striker

Maolida (No. 17) celebrates yet another goal with Rocky Bushiri (33). | SNS Group

Stand-in Hibs boss David Gray hailed Myziane Maolida for delivering one final moment of magic in green-and-white. And then admitted that the free-scoring winger will have multiple suitors in a busy summer.

Maolida scored his 11th goal in 17 starts for Hibs as the visitors stumbled to a 1-1 draw in the final fixture of a dismal season, throwing away a lead against Livingston at Almondvale. The Comoros international, still under contract to Hertha Berlin for another year, is sure to attract major interest during the close season.

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Caretaker coach Gray said the January loan signing, sold on a move to Scotland by a personal pitch from axed gaffer Nick Montgomery, had more than earned his keep, insisting: “He’s been brilliant on and off the pitch, comes in and does his work, works extremely hard. He’s a top professional – and you can see the quality he has.

“He obviously scores goals. Even today, he was probably a bit quiet in the game, looked a wee bit tired.

“But he comes up with that one moment of magic, manages to put us in front. One the whole, as a game, that was the thing missing – that little bit of quality to go and win it if I’m being honest.”

Asked outright about the prospect of keeping Maolida, who had been languishing as an unused sub in the Hertha B team when Hibs offered him a lifeline, Gray said: “That’s not a question for me. I was asked to prepare them as best I could between last week and today.

“Moving forward, I’m sure there will be many suitors for him, if he is available. But that’s a question for the next manager and the powers that be at the football club.

“I think if you can get a player with that quality, it can only add to your squad, 100 per cent. You see what he can do.

“But there is already a lot of quality in that dressing room at the moment, as well. I’ve said that many times.

“It is a good squad. It needs to be added to, because there are a lot of players out of contract, players on loan going back to their clubs.

“So it gives the new manager an opportunity to bring his own players in – and put his own stamp on the team.”

Addressing his own hopes of being appointed as a full-time successor to Montgomery, Gray – now on his fourth stint as interim manager – said: “Listen, unfortunately, every time I have been in this position it has always been in difficult situations. As I have said many times, it is about trying to get a reaction out of the players, first and foremost. And then from there, very conscious of the fact people have lost their jobs, so it is not always about me at all.

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“On reflection, with every time I have been in the position, you always then start to get a little taste for it to find out exactly and assess what you think went well and what didn’t. I think every time I have been in the position, I have learned from the previous experiences, which has definitely helped me.”