Siobhan Hunter: New contract and bigger responsibilities as stalwart takes "huge step"

Siobhan Hunter has described her new full-time contract as a “huge step” and insists Hibs have the potential to challenge at the top end of the SWPL table.

The 28-year-old centre-back has signed a new two-and-a-half year deal as a full-time pro, taking her through to the summer of 2025. A club stalwart who grew up as a Hibs fan and came through the girls’ academy ranks, Hunter has been in the first-team squad for a decade and has made more than 250 first-team appearances.

“For me it’s a huge step in my career,” she told Hibs TV. “When I was younger it was a dream for me to be here, so to do that on a full-time basis as a job is a dream come true, so I’m delighted to sign a long-term deal. If you ask anyone, they’ll tell you that the club means everything to me. The club has so much potential to be at the top end of the table.”

Hunter recalls being helped by senior players when she graduated from the girls academy in 2012. A lot has changed since then, of course, but she now sees it as her role and responsibility to support the younger players coming through into what is now a professional environment and league.

Experienced defender Siobhan Hunter has signed a new two-and-a-half-year full-time contract at Hibs. Picture: Mark Scates / SNS G

“The league is getting tougher every year and that improves you as a player,” she explained. “I’m still learning. I want to help the team with my experience; it’s part of my role and I like it. I’m trying to bring my experience into the team and to help the young ones too. I also take feedback from the younger ones, so it works both ways. I’m happy to help them.”

She added: “When I made my debut you didn’t have the facilities that you have now. At that point, sometimes, you didn’t even get linos, so it’s changed massively. The women’s game is stepping up every week and it’s getting more competitive on and off the pitch. The exposure of the game is huge. We need to take this opportunity with both hands and compete at a top level every week.”

Hibs manager Dean Gibson has described the new contract as “a huge bit of business for the club” and insists Hunter can still improve as she enters the peak of her career. “She’s a player with a lot of experience in this league but also still has a good few years ahead of her,” he said.

“She's been at the club a long time so I’m glad the club can reward her loyalty with a bit of our own. She’s coming to the peak years of her career, so we are yet to see the best Shiv and hopefully that's what we see over the next few seasons.”

Manager Dean Gibson sees Siobhan Hunter as an integral part of the long-term future at Hibs. Picture: Mark Scates / SNS

“Building for more than 12 months at a time is now the aim. I truly believe the best way of success is through consistency, so getting the core of the group here for the next few seasons will set us up well. We have a young squad and players like Siobhan will only help these players. She takes good ownership of that already, offering advice to some of the younger ones. Having her around for the next couple of years is brilliant for both parties.”