David Gray urges Hibs players to embrace passion of Edinburgh derby

David Gray has told his Hibernian players to embrace the pressure of Sunday’s showdown with Hearts as they bid to maintain the upper hand in Edinburgh this season.

The two capital clubs are flying ahead of the Easter Road encounter after recovering from dismal starts to the campaign, with the Hibees unbeaten in 14 matches and the Jambos having lost only one of their last 11.

Fourth-placed Hibs are four points ahead of their city rivals in the battle for a European place, while they are also unbeaten in the two clashes between the sides this term. Gray is relishing the latest instalment of a fixture he loves being involved in.

“Naturally, for everything that goes with it, the two clubs in the one city, you know what it means to both sets of supporters and you want to be the team on top,” said the Hibs boss. “I know that more than anybody growing up in the city and having played in these games, they’re fantastic games to be involved in.

“And now sitting on the other side, as a manager, I’m thoroughly enjoying them as well. These are the games you kind of wish you were playing in, to be honest. As a player, I thoroughly enjoyed them and the message to the players is that these are the games you need to look forward to.

“From everything that goes with it this weekend, from where the two teams are, the form they’re in, the form we’re in, what’s at stake for everyone involved, it’s a fantastic opportunity, a great game to look forward to.”

While Hearts’ starting XI is likely to have three or four January signings who have never experienced the derby before, most of Gray’s squad have already been involved in it.

“The fact that this is the third time we’ve played them is better for the players because they know exactly what to expect now,” he said. “Alasana (Manneh) joined us in January, so he’s never experienced the derby before but we have got a bit of experience on that front, so they know exactly what to expect.

“It is about which team can be calm in the chaos because there’s always all sorts of chaos that goes on within the game. It’s about having the right mentality to deal with that, but also playing with that intensity and desire that you know is always going to be there in the derby.”