Exclusive:SWPL title-chasing Hibs boss on 'big prize' still to come - and men's gaffer Gray leading by example

SWPL title favourites Hibs were honoured with one of the main awards at the PFA Scotland dinner, as gaffer Grant Scott was named Manager of the Year – a reward for leading his team to the top of the table with just three games remaining. And Scott revealed that he’d taken inspiration from watching David Gray at close quarters during the early-season crisis that threatened the scupper the young coach’s first crack at management.

Scott was honoured at last night’s gala dinner in Glasgow, just hours after his team beat Hearts at Oriam to boost their challenge for a first title since 2007. Scott, who returned to Hibs for a second stint as boss in the summer of 2023, has presided over a remarkable campaign. Despite working on a much smaller budget than their main rivals, the Edinburgh outfit have everything in their own hands heading into the home stretch.

Hibs are now three points clear of Glasgow City and five ahead of Rangers with the season entering its home stretch. They play City at Meadowbank next Sunday, host Celtic the following midweek – and round off the campaign against Rangers at Ibrox on May 18.

Boss finds it ‘humbling’ to be voted best boss by jury of his peers

Scott, who said he’s still focused on landing the “bigger prize” of being crowned champions, admitted: “Look, it's really humbling because your peers have voted on something like this. And it's nice recognition for what I think is a good job done, but I can't hesitate on the fact that there's a team behind me.

“And you've seen us at close quarters, you know how we work. There's a number of people involved, support staff behind the players.

“Then you've got the players who have to listen to me every single day and keep believing and keep buying in. So, look, it's nice individual recognition, but without wanting to pass it on to everyone else, genuinely that's how I feel.”

Asked how he’d feel about landing the title to go with his individual honour. Scott said: “Look, that's the bigger prize, isn't it? And that's the real reward for the team if we can manage to do it.

“But we know how tough that will be. We've got three really massive games against really difficult opponents to play.

“So, yeah, it's going to take everything we've got, myself and the staff included, to get the players prepared and ready for these next three. But, yeah, that's the reward you want at the end, no doubt about it.”

Scott and Gray inhabit offices just a few yards apart at Hibernian Training Centre. The Hibs Women’s boss watched his young counterpart with the men’s side maintain a steady attitude even as the lads were scuffling along at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership table.

“Honestly, he's never changed once,” said Scott. “Our paths don't cross in terms of what we do on a day-to-day. But if I was ever to take learnings from watching another manager in action, he's not a bad one to watch because he hasn't changed the whole season.

“When times were tough, a lot of negative things getting said, he never once changed the way he goes about and operates in the building, on the training field. It's a true mark of a person that carried himself as well as he did.

“Probably in a strange way, we've got similar styles. I'm generally quite calm around the place.

“We need to be vocal and encourage things to change at certain moments. I think watching him work is very close to how I would choose to do it anyway. It's been good to see that it's a good way to go.”

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