Hibs tie up talented youth pair on new contracts as trio heads out on loan

Hibs have secured two members of the club’s talented under-19 squad on new deals.
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Goalkeeper Murray Johnson, who has been at Hibs since the age of eight, has pledged his future to the club until the summer of 2027. Still just 18, the shot-stopper is highly regarded at Easter Road and is currently serving as understudy to David Marshall in the first team. He impressed during a five-game loan spell for cinch League One side Airdrie at the start of the season and returned on an emergency loan this weekend ahead of their home game against Falkirk. He played in each of the under-19s’ UEFA Youth League matches as well as being a crucial member of the team that won last year’s CAS Elite Under-18 League title.

Academy chief Steve Kean said: “We are delighted to be able to tie Murray down to a long-term deal with the club. The length of the deal clearly indicates how highly we think of Murray and he has an extremely bright future ahead of him. This season Murray has really kicked on and has benefited from his short spell at Airdrieonians at the start of the season. He has been a top performer for the Dev Squad, played internationally with Scotland U19s, and has now secured himself as backup goalkeeper in the Hibs first-team squad. He is growing in confidence and this new contract is extremely well deserved.”

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Jacob Blaney has also put pen to paper on a new contract, keeping him at Hibs until 2025. He will spend the rest of the campaign on loan at League Two side Stenhousemuir and could feature when they take on Bonnyrigg Rose this afternoon. The centre-back made his senior debut in a 4-0 win against St Johnstone last season and featured during the Premier Sports Cup group stage, coincidentally against Bonnyrigg. He also made his Scotland under-19 debut.

Murray Johnson, Jacob Blaney, and Josh McCulloch pictured ahead of the UEFA Youth League first-leg clash with MoldeMurray Johnson, Jacob Blaney, and Josh McCulloch pictured ahead of the UEFA Youth League first-leg clash with Molde
Murray Johnson, Jacob Blaney, and Josh McCulloch pictured ahead of the UEFA Youth League first-leg clash with Molde

Kean added: “Jacob’s contract extension is very well deserved. He has been a standout performer not only this season, but throughout all his years within the Academy. This opportunity will give him a good taste of playing first-team football in an extremely competitive environment which will be great for his ongoing development. The beauty of the loan is that he will also be able to continue playing for the Dev Squad on Tuesday and Stenhousemuir on a Saturday, so we will be able to monitor his progress closely.”

The third loan deal sees utility man Josh McCulloch join Albion Rovers on loan. Able to operate anywhere in defence or midfield, he scored in the 3-1 SPFL Reserve victory against Ayr United this week and will look to help the Cliftonhill side maintain their league status, potentially starting with today’s home game against Annan Athletic.

As with Blaney, McCulloch will be available for the dev squad as well as the League Two side. A key performer in the under-18 title-winning team he made five appearances in the Youth League.

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Kean said: “This is a great opportunity for Josh to go and get regular minutes playing first-team senior football. With this loan, he will also be able to play for the development squad, which will give him a good opportunity to play two games a week and really accelerate his development between now and the end of the season.”

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