Hibernian this morning announced Nick Montgomery as their new manager on a 3-year-deal, succeeding Lee Johnson who was sacked following a disappointing start to the season.
Here PLZ Soccer takes at look at the man charged with taking over the reigns at Easter Road.
Montgomery arrives from Australian football where last season he led his Central Coast Mariners side to their first A-League title in a decade.
He will be joined in Leith by assistant coach Sergio Raimundo and goalkeeping coach Miguel de Oliveira Miranda, whilst David Gray will remain at the club in the first team coach role.
After being unveiled as manager, Nick Montgomery said: “In terms of philosophy, I don’t really like to use that word but I’ll try to bring a new identity to the club”
Plying his trade as a central midfielder he rose to prominence with Sheffield United, where he was a stalwart of the side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2006.
After arriving Down Under in 2012, he said there was ‘no hesitation’ to come back to the UK after helping the Mariners win their first ever title as player and 10 years later repeating the feat in the dugout.
As a coach Montgomery has forged a reputation for developing youth players. In 2021 his side ranked 17th in the world for academy graduates playing in the first team and he notably handed a debut to 17-year old Garang Kuol who spent time on loan at city rivals Hearts.
On his youth policy he said: “The big picture is the academy. There’s very good young players in the academy, there’s very good young players in the first team.
“There’s a real mix of youth and experience in the first team squad so I’m really looking forward to working with everybody.”
He also made the shrewd acquisition of former Hibs forward Jason Cummings, who was instrumental in Montgomery’s title charge, scoring 21 goals in 29 games including a Grand Final hattrick.
Five of that side that started the Grand Final went on to be sold overseas, one of whom James McGarry, who has featured prominently for Aberdeen this season.
These are not his only previous ties to Scotland, having featured twice for the under 21s in 2003 alongside former Hibs stars Garry O’Connor and Ian Murray.
