How Darren McGregor showed his class to Adam Jackson on Hibs debut

But, revealed Adam Jackson, Darren McGregor was the first to wish him the best of luck after Hibs head coach Paul Heckingbottom gave him the nod to partner Paul Hanlon in the central defence for Hibs’ opening league game of the season.

Jackson learned the day before that he’d be playing against St Mirren with McGregor helping fill the bench, news which might have created a frosty atmosphere when the pair retired to their hotel room that night.

Nothing, however, could have been further from the truth.

“Darren was great with me before the game,” said former Barnsley stopper Jackson. “He wished me luck. We’ve been room-mates together pre-season and it’s been fine.

“Had it been the other way round it would have been the same. I would have been wishing him all the best.

“There’s no grudges, we all want to work hard in training, to fight for our place in the team and, if we do that, to make sure we keep our shirts.

“I’ve come into the club and the pressure is on me to do my best and hopefully that’s going to be enough to keep me in the team.”

Jackson acknowledged that further competition is looming with Scotland Under-21 defender Ryan Porteous now back in full training as are full-backs David Gray and Lewis Stevenson, but that’s a situation he insisted he will relish.

He said: “If you look at our bench at the weekend it was really strong. Anyone who was in the match-day squad could have started and done a job. The gaffer wants a really strong squad, players fighting for every position and that will intensify even more when these guys are back and available.”