Ian Gordon Hibs recruitment role explained by Ron Gordon as new manager hunt begins

Hibs owner Ron Gordon has clarified the position of his son Ian in terms of the Easter Road side’s transfer business.

The younger Gordon currently carries the title of Head of Recruitment and some supporters have questioned what role, if any, he would have in appointing a new manager to succeed Shaun Maloney, who was relieved of his duties after just four months earlier this week.

However, he doesn’t sit on the club’s 12-person board – headed up by his father and chief executive Ben Kensell and including directors such as Kathrin Hamilton, Bruce Langham, and Archie Paton – which will make a collective decision on a new permanent boss at the end of the interview process, as they did when choosing to appoint Maloney in December last year.

‘Ian is just one player in the recruitment team’

Speaking about his son’s position, the Hibs executive chairman confirmed he was not calling the shots on signings, explaining: “I get why people ask the question, whether Ian is the right man for the Head of Recruitment role. I get it; he’s my son.

"But I think he’s working extremely hard and he has very good insights and he has put together a very solid team to help him.

"He is just one player in the recruiting department – he doesn’t make the decisions. And no position is untouchable; if someone isn’t doing a good job or isn’t contributing to the success of the club, then it’s not going to work.

"He co-ordinates the vetting of the options the club has. That’s really what the recruitment department is doing."

Hibs owner Ron Gordon, left, with son Ian

Elaborating on the work carried out by the recruitment team, Gordon continued: "The recruitment department is essentially vetting potential signing targets: are they available, can we afford them, how much do they cost, what are their personal terms. That’s the work the recruitment department is carrying out; they’re not making decisions on who is signed.

"The manager has the final say. We’re not going to stick the manager with a player he doesn’t want, but we’re going to bring him the best options.

“And I see the targets the recruitment team brings to the table. There are lots of them and they are all good. It’s just a question of hopefully picking the right one.”

‘Significant progress’ with signings

Gordon believes Hibs recruited well in January but conceded the club had been unfortunate with injuries while the sale of Martin Boyle was described as ‘the only negative’ of the transfer window.

"The proof will be in the pudding but unless I’m missing something I think we’ve made some significant progress in terms of the calibre of player we’re bringing to the club,” he added, before reaffirming his support for the work being carried out by Ian.

“Are we going to get some signings right, yes; are we going to get some wrong, absolutely. That’s just part of the game. The whole idea is to get more right than wrong.

"Ian is my son but he is working incredibly hard with the team to do the best for Hibs. he is as committed as we all are to making this a phenomenal club.”