Hibs next manager: Jon Dahl Tomasson linked with with job; appointment expected next week

Champions League winner and former Denmark striker Jon Dahl Tomasson has emerged as a new candidate for the vacant Hibs job.

According to The Scotsman, the former Malmo boss is now a target for Hibs as the club’s board continue the search for Shaun Maloney’s successor.

Tomasson, 45, had a distinguished playing career with Newcastle United, Feyenoord and AC Milan, where he won Europe’s most coveted trophy in 2003. Capped 112 times by Denmark, he represented his country at the World Cup before moving into coaching and management.

He was most recently with Swedish giants Malmo, who knocked Rangers out of the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season. He guided the Allsvenskan champions to the group stages of the competition before standing down in January this year in the wake of winning the title again.

Jon Dahl Tomasson has emerged as a candidate for the next Hibs manager.

Tomasson’s name could be on a shortlist that also contains former Sunderland manager Lee Johnson and Michael Appleton, who was close to taking the Hibs job back in 2019.

Having whittled down the list of possible candidates, owner Ron Gordon and chief executive Ben Kensell have been carrying out interviews with a view to making an announcement, hopefully within the next week.

Johnson remains the favourite after impressing the Hibs board, but three other interviews are understood to have been taking place this week. Appleton is one of the them.

Hibs are searching for their third manager in six months after dispensing with Maloney last month. The club failed to reach the top six in the cinch Premiership under his watch and sacked following just 120 days in charge. Maloney replaced Jack Ross, who was dismissed in December last year following a poor run of form.

Club legend David Gray has been in caretaker charge of the first team alongside fellow coach Eddie May and they will guide the team for the final match of the season against St Johnstone on Sunday, with eighth place the highest Hibs can finish this term in the league.

The new manager is expected to be given a significant budget this summer to strengthen the squad following the sale of Martin Boyle to Al-Faisaly earlier in the year and the departure of top-earner Chris Mueller back to the United States.

Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall has already been signed for the new campaign.