Hibs raid Scottish Premiership rivals as they strengthen development squad

Hibs have added to their development squad with the acquisition of two players from fellow Scottish Premiership sides.
Head of Football Operations George Craig and Ryan Porteous welcome Jack Hodge and Josh Doig to the clubHead of Football Operations George Craig and Ryan Porteous welcome Jack Hodge and Josh Doig to the club
Head of Football Operations George Craig and Ryan Porteous welcome Jack Hodge and Josh Doig to the club

Josh Doig, a 17-year-old centre-back, has joined from Capital rivals Hearts while 18-year-old midfielder Jack Hodge has arrived from St Johnstone.

The duo will be part of the pool of players who will face teams from England and potentially further afield, after the club confirmed they would not be participating in next season's reserve league.

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The Easter Road side is planning to "push the squad out of any comfort zone" by scheduling matches against clubs from "Scotland, England and further afield when possible".

The Capital club played matches against Stirling Albion plus Under-23 sides from Huddersfield and Middlesbrough following the culmination of the 2018/19 Reserve League, and are keen to focus on matches against that level of opposition in a bid to maximise the development potential of the club's young players.

Head of Football Operations George Craig said: "We are committed to playing our part in ensuring that youth development in Scotland is in the best possible condition it can be.

“However, first and foremost, our responsibility is to Hibernian and our supporters.

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“We are passionate about the work done within the Hibernian Academy and are proud of our record in producing talented young professionals who have gone on to make a real impact in the Scottish game.

“If we wish to constantly improve standards across the board then it stands to reason that we have to constantly re-evaluate what we do, and there are some concerns about the Reserve League setup as it is."