Steve Kean reveals manager Jack Ross alerted him to Easter Road job

Steve Kean has revealed it was manager Jack Ross who first sounded him out about joining Hibs after the former Blackburn Rovers boss was announced as the club’s new academy director on Tuesday afternoon.

The 54-year-old will work alongside Ross and chief executive Ben Kensell as the Easter Road side aim to rejuvenate the club’s youth set-up after financial cut-backs were enforced upon the structure during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kean will also play a role in the club’s recruitment as Hibs shift to a more collaborative approach to signing players following the departure of sporting director Graham Mathie earlier this season.

"When I first spoke with Jack and he told me there was the possibility of a development position within the club I was very interested,” said Kean. “We have worked together in the Scottish FA delivering coach education and we see the game very similarly.

Steve Kean's last job in football came as an assistant and then caretaker role at Melbourne Victory earlier this year. Picture: Getty

“I spoke with Ben and the chairman [Ron Gordon] and it just grew from there. I thought it was fresh. I thought it was different. We are really looking to build it back up again after Covid-19 and really bridge that gap between academy and first team.

Kean’s background is mainly in first-team coaching, having also enjoyed stints with DPMM FC in Brunei, where he also managed the national team, and Australian outfit Melboure Victory. However, he insisted he’s not merely in Leith to bide his time before the next offer in management.

"I could've sat and waited for another job to come up. You get different opportunities in different parts of the world,” Kean said.

“It was just the excitement that came across from everyone I spoke to at the club, and I thought it sounded perfect.”

Kensell heralded the appointment as he explained Kean’s role will include both the managing of the academy and the signing of players.

“He will play a major role in both,” the chief executive said. “When it comes to recruitment, the more heads we have around the table when it comes to that, the better the output.

"It needs to be more structured than it has been in the past and Steve’s experience, credibility and know-how and, more importantly, the fact he has worked in different clubs across different continents, that experience is something we were attracted by.”

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