David Gray challenges Hibernian to keep momentum and embrace Europa League challenge

Hibs head coach David Gray is excited about the team’s Europa League challenge and wants his side to carry their momentum from last season into the new campaign.

A strong second half to the season saw the Leith side climb to a third-place finish in the Premiership after a difficult start.

That achievement looked set to guarantee group stage football in Europe in either the Europa League or at worst the Conference League but Aberdeen’s surprise Scottish Cup final triumph over Celtic meant the Dons took the Europe League play-off spot and left Hibs facing three knock-out ties to reach the League Phase.

The Easter Road club have been drawn to face Danish side Midtjylland in the second qualifying round next month and with pre-season training now underway, Gray says they can look forward to the tie.

“Everyone’s come back with a spring in their step, as you’d expect off the back of last season,” he said, while speaking at the club’s annual Ron Gordon Football Festival. “And it’s just trying to build on that momentum from last year.”

Gray admitted it was difficult seeing Aberdeen’s cup success make his own qualifying task more difficult but said the club had prepared for all scenarios and he didn’t want it to detract in any way from how well his side had done in reaching Europe.

“We now know exactly what’s happening,” he said. You know, you’ve got the added bonus of knowing exactly who your opponent is well in advance, so you can do all your work and make sure you’re ready for that.

“Everyone will have their pre-season friendlies getting in place to try and get the players up to speed as quickly as you can.

“But it’s certainly a really good one to look forward to.

“Something that’s worked really well for us as a group was taking one game at a time, and I know that was where we found ourself last year.

“But clearly, because it is a knockout stage at this point, that is the way you’re gonna have to look at it.

“There’s no better one you start with. It’s a brilliant opportunity. They’re a real top side.

“We know that, but that is the reward for finishing third. That’s the reward for coming to this football club and being successful and qualifying for European competitions, that you get the opportunity to test yourself against a really good side.

“The players I’m sure are going to be looking forward to, because I certainly am.”

Gray also anticipates an exciting Premiership season and thinks the new faces in the league will bring a freshness and also a lot of competiveness.

“We had a fantastic season, finished third, and rightly so,” he said.

“The league does not lie by the end of the season, but the challenge now for myself, for the staff, for the players, is to make sure we keep improving.

“Because the league is so tough, we know that. And the teams coming up are going to add to that.

“You’ve obviously seen there’s new managers in place that are going to want to implement their own styles as well. So it’s going to be really competitive.

“It always is, but our challenge is, can we keep improving as a group?”