Hibernian

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland in Pristina

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Captain Martin Boyle says Hibernian are braced for a "negative week" after the embarrassment of defeat by FC Malisheva on Thursday.

Some fans berated the squad as they left the stadium in Pristina, after Hibs recorded one of their worst ever results against the Kosovan minnows.

Boyle believes the team can turn the 2-0 deficit around at Easter Road next week, but knows there will continue to be fierce criticism after such a poor start to the season.

"We'll take what will come our way," Boyle said. "We know it's going to be a negative week, but only us as players can turn it around.

"We certainly believe in what the manager is doing, which has got us in this position over the last two years.

"We have no choice but to turn this around. So we'll take what comes this week, and it'll be a real test of character next week."

Asked if Boyle understood some fans' anger, the forward said: "One hundred per cent. They've spent a lot of money to come here. Two flights, I believe, no direct flights.

"They're entitled to their opinion. If I was in their position, I'd probably be a little bit angry too. They're entitled to it. They can certainly show that.

"And like I say, hopefully they're back in next week. We can get a positive turnout and get the result that we want and get through the next round."

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Hibernian's European disappointment will be "instantly forgotten about" if they manage to get a big result when they welcome Malisheva to Easter Road next week.

David Gray's side were beaten 2-0 in Kosovo on Thursday afternoon in the first leg of the Conference League second qualifying round, in one of the Edinburgh club's worst ever results.

But former Celtic and Motherwell striker Cillian Sheridan is urging fans to wait until the conclusion of next week's game in Leith before making any judgements about Gray and the season ahead.

"I've been going back in my head to where I think you have to judge them at the end of the two games," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"If you go back to Brendan Rodgers' first game at Celtic, he's lost to Lincoln Red Imps [in Champions League qualifying] and then goes on and has one of Celtic's best seasons.

"Yes, they're due criticism for losing a game like that, but I think overall you have to wait and fully judge them at the end of the tie. Because Hibs could come home and win four or five nil, and then that result is instantly forgotten about."

Sheridan, who played in Cyprus with Apoel Nicosia and Omonia Nicosia, recalls playing European games in the afternoons in the height of summer, and how difficult it made the conditions.

"Malisheva will have wanted to make the conditions as tough as they could for Hibs," he added.

"You used to have it a few years ago in Cyprus when if you get drawn with a Scandinavian team or something like that, the clubs would always try and have the games a little bit earlier in the day for the heat and take advantage of it."

Hibs fans, we asked for your views after Thursday's defeat to Malisheva in Conference League qualifying.

Here's what some of you had to say:

David: Worst performance from a Hibs team I have seen in 45 years of supporting them, every player was a 1/10. The manager has to go, his job was to get the players ready and he failed again.

Sandy: As Arnie [Schwarzenegger] once said "we'll be back". We have to suspect that's the worst performance of the season out the way now. It's half time in the tie and there has to be a positive result in the second leg or David Gray could well be in trouble.

Tom: I live in Australia and have been following Hibs for 70 years, it's the same old story - full of promise but can't deliver. Sick of hearing David Gray saying it is his problem to fix. After a great European effort last season let's hope we can find three goals at least at Easter Road and get back on track, and get a decent team together to challenge for the league.

James: Time for a new manager. David Gray is a nice man but not dynamic or ruthless enough to be a manager. If he stays Hibs are doomed to mediocrity.

Paddy: Turgid garbage. Gray is not up to the job of motivating this bunch of players enough to beat a team of amateurs. Time for managerial change.

Graeme: An utter disaster of a performance. A team that will struggle to finish top six in the Premiership under this Gray management. So dour and slow. Eye-bleeding to watch.

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Hibernian head coach David Gray: "I'm not going to have any sort of excuse. I'm not going to come up with any of that at all.

"Everything I thought the game would be today in terms of what the opposition would do, I thought happened. As I've already said, that aggressive intensity, the transition when they scored the second goal, especially when you look at how they broke on us, everything we thought it would be.

"The biggest part of it today is the fact that we were way below the levels required.

"That wasn't just one or two players. To win any game of football at any level, never mind European football, you need to have a level of performance that's good enough throughout the team.

"I don't think there's a single player today that can hold their hand up and say, I was at the very best of my ability today.

"The team, the individuals, the collective, I can talk about the quality, I can talk about everything. I can come up with any sort of excuse to defend it. I'm not going to at all.

"I'm not going to defend it. It's my responsibility to fix it. That is a reflection of my team, which isn't of the standards acceptable for the football club at any time."

Hibernian suffered one of the club's worst ever results as Kosovan minnows FC Malisheva stunned the Scottish Premiership side in the second round of Uefa Conference League qualifying.

Read the match report here.

Have your say on the result here.

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Hibernian's summer recruits are looking good and it's down to the "fantastic job" being done by sporting director Malky Mackay, reckons Andy Halliday.

Ahead of the Leith side's return to competitive action in the Conference League second qualifying round first leg against Malisheva in Kosovo, head coach David Gray has some selection headaches.

Key creator Nicky Cadden is one of the core squad members ruled out with injury, but former Hearts and Motherwell midfielder Halliday anticipates the summer reinforcements filling the void well, particularly at the top end of the park.

"Under David Gray, especially over the last couple of seasons, a big part of their strategy is to utilise the wing-backs and put crosses into the box," Halliday told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think I'd probably make a strong case that Nicky Cadden is arguably the best crosser in the league and a huge output for Hibs in terms of their chances created on that left-hand side.

"So I think that's a huge miss."

Striker Kieron Bowie left for Hellas Verona in January, when the 23-year-old Scotland striker became Hibs' biggest-ever sale, departing for a fee that the club said "substantially exceeds" the previous record of £4.4m for Scott Brown's move to Celtic.

Replacement Nathan Lowe, who is on loan from Stoke City, scored a double on his home debut in a pre-season friendly against Brondby.

"I do look at some of their recruitment Hibs have already done and I think a couple of the bits of business they've done so far have looked promising," Halliday added.

"They were needing a striker to replace Kieran Bowie and I think a couple of the young boys that came in last year, Owen Elding, Dane Scarlett, I thought they looked like really, really promising players, but I think a little bit more experienced at the top end of the pitch.

"I think the boy [Nathan Lowe] obviously has come on loan from Stoke and managed to get a half-decent debut against Brondby."

Aberdeen have expressed an interest in 29-year-old Hibernian right-back Chris Cadden. (Sky Sports, external)

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Hibernian head coach David Gray has been talking to the media ahead of Thursday's Conference League second qualifying round first leg against Malisheva in Kosovo.

Here are his key points:

• Callum Wright and Ante Suto will join Jamie McGrath and Nicky Cadden in missing the first leg in Kosovo.

• The squad visited the Fadil Vokkri Stadium and Gray says the pitch is a "good size and good surface" and he has "no complaints" about the venue.

• Gray has watched Malisheva as much as possible and says they are a "very aggressive" and "very intense" side who will "fight for every inch".

• The Hibs boss loved his experience in last season's Conference League qualifiers and is "hungry" to deliver that again for Hibs and take them to the league phase.

• If there is any complacency then it will be punished, but the players are well aware of that danger.

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland in Pristina

Image source, SNS

Hibernian's Conference League opponents FC Malisheva from Kosovo were only formed in 2016, starting in the nation's fourth tier and securing top-flight football for the first time in 2021.

After consolidating with mid-table finishes, Malisheva finished third two seasons ago and second last term, finishing seven points behind champions Drita.

This is their third season attempting to qualify for the Conference League, having lost 3-1 on aggregate to Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro in 2024 after a 1-0 home win.

Last season, they were thumped 9-0 over two legs by Vikingur Reykjavik following an 8-0 drubbing in Iceland.

However, their dismissal of Albanian side Vllaznia in the last round was a statement of intent as they secured their first ever victory in a European tie via a 5-0 second leg victory.

New signing Kreshnik Uka scored twice in that game and will pose a threat to Hibs, having hit 19 goals last season in Kosovos top-flight.

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Hibs break new ground when they take on Malisheva on Thursday as the first Scottish club to take on opposition from Kosovo.

David Gray's side may not know too much about the hosts but can expect baking hot conditions in Pristina.

And that experience could help if they progress to face either Shkendija or NK Bravo in the third qualifying round of the Conference League.

North Macedonia is a short hop away, while Slovenia is about a 10-hour drive.

Scotland wilted in the Skopje sunshine back in 2008, with former Hibees Gary Caldwell, Scott Brown, Paul Hartley and Kenny Miller all starting that day, while Shkendija held Aberdeen 1-1 in 2015 before going out on away goals.

Shkendija made their European debut in the 2011–12 campaign and have already amassed 67 Uefa tournament matches.

Hibs are only just ahead on 76, having been invited to play in the inaugural European Cup way back in 1955-56.

The Easter Road side put up promising displays against Midtjylland, Partizan Belgrade and Legia Warsaw last summer but fell short in their league phase quest.

Shkendija did just that for the first time, beating Shelbourne and Slovan Bratislava to finish 22nd in the Conference League before a heavy aggregate loss to Samsunspor in the play-off round.

NK Bravo are European novices though, having climbed through the league system since their formation in 2006.

The Slovenians made their debut in 2024-25 and needed extra-time to get past Welsh club Connah's Quay Nomads before losing out to Zrinjski Mostar.

The first leg of their qualifier with Shkendija will be just their third Uefa fixture.

However, Hibs will need to be careful if they do end up in Llubjana since they were dismantled by a slick Maribor on their last visit to Slovenia 16 years ago, when Bravo were scrapping it out in the depths of the fifth tier.

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Hibernian head coach David Gray admits he is not an expert on Kosovan side Malisheva, who they face in the second round of Conference League qualifying, but insists his side will be fully prepared for Thursday's first leg.

The Kosovan Superleague runners-up beat Albanian side Vllaznia 6-2 on aggregate to reach this stage and having watched those two matches, Gray expects a tough test.

"It's one of those ties you're not too sure - I'm not going to sit here and say I know a lot abut football in Kosovo," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"We watched both games and they fully deserved to go through [against Vllaznia]. They are a physical side, high energy and quite transitional. It will be a tough test, going away from home in Europe.

"The players are ready and will be well prepped. I'm just looking forward to the game now."

Hibs go into the tie off the back of a friendly victory over Brondby on Saturday after a draw against Porto last weekend.

They performed admirably in European qualifying last season, beating Partizan Belgrade in the third round of Conference League qualifying before losing a play-off against Legia Warsaw.

"We came so close last season, had some brilliant nights," Gray said. "We're taking it one game at a time and trying to be the first team to get group stage football for Hibs.

"We've played Porto and Brondby in friendlies and come through well - the players should take confidence from that.

"It's all about the real stuff on Thursday, the players are ready to go, as am I."

Gray says he expects transfers in and out of Easter Road in the weeks to come, but insists he is delighted with the state of his squad after some early business.

"I'm really happy with where the squad's at," he said.

"I don't think you can ever say 'that's the shop closed'. You need to be proactive all the time while the window's open. I'm pleased with the business we've done early - that's a big thing.

"The squad is quite bloated in certain areas, so I expect movement both ways between now and the window closing."

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Hibernian wide man Nicky Cadden will miss Thursday's season opener against Malisheva in Kosovo in the Conference League second qualifying round, but midfielder Jamie McGrath could recover in time.

Head coach David Gray said the pair are his only injury concerns following Saturday's 2-1 win over Brondby at Easter Road in their final pre-season friendly.

Midfielder Callum Wright, the summer arrival from Plymouth Argyle, came off before half-time, but Gray reckons "it's just more precautionary than anything else".

"He was just feeling his thigh a little bit and we're hoping it's just more fatigue and tightness," he said.

"He was one that missed a bit of pre-season at the start with a toe injury."

As for forward Boyle, he "just got some late contact before he came off".

Gray revealed that Cadden and McGrath, who missed the match against the Danes, both have calf issues.

"Nicky will be a wee bit longer, so unfortunately for him, he might be a few weeks, whereas Jamie we're hoping to be back in days rather than weeks, which is more positive on that front," he said.

Gray was particularly pleased with Nathan Lowe, the on-loan Stoke City forward who scored both Hibs goals against Brondby in "another good exercise for the players against a real good opponent".

"He started really well, but it's his all-round play, what he brought to the team was excellent," he added.

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New signing Nathan Lowe scored twice as Hibernian beat friendly opponents Brondby in the Easter Road side's final warm-up before their Conference League qualifiers.

The on-loan Stoke City forward took advantage of a defensive lapse to give Hibs the lead in Edinburgh and he converted captain Martin Boyle's cross for the second.

Patrick Mortensen's penalty reduced Brondby's deficit before half-time.

Recent recruits Adam Mayor and Callum Wright started for David Gray's side and fellow summer signings Jason Kerr and Azeem Abdulai were on the bench, with Kerr replacing Mayor at half-time.

Hibs visit Kosovo's Malisheva for the first leg of their Conference League second qualifying round tie on Thursday (16:00 BST), with the return at Easter Road the following Thursday.

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Can Hibs build on last season's progress and take the next step under David Gray?

Are they genuinely equipped to make a splash in Europe, and have they strengthened enough to challenge at the top end of the Premiership?

Host Charlotte Cohen is joined by Mark Atkinson and Harry McArthur to ask whether Hibs are heading in the right direction, which new signings could make the biggest impact, and if this squad is stronger than the one that fell just short in Europe a year ago.

Listen: European ambition, new signings and big expectations - Hibs SPFL preview

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New Hibernian signing Adam Mayor feels he's "picked the right club" are joining from English Championship side Milwall.

The 21-year-old, who began his youth career with Tranmere Rovers and Preston North End, becomes David Gray's fifth signing of the summer window.

"I think now is probably the most important time in my career to go and push myself and really get going properly," he told club media.

"And I think I've picked the right club where I can go and push on and challenge myself.

"My aim is to just go and create and score as many goals as I can, and obviously as a team we want to go and do well in Europe and finish as high as we can in the league."

Mayor joined Milwall in January 2024 before loan spells as English League Two sides Bromley and, most recently, Cambridge United.

"We're delighted to bring another exciting young player into the building and welcome Adam to Hibernian," head coach David Gray told club media of the defender's arrival.

"He is a promising young player to add to the group, and he has already made successful strides in his career so far.

"There's no doubt Adam will bring real athleticism to the squad. He's a wing-back who really loves attacking and putting crosses into the box and can contribute at both ends of the pitch.

"We're all looking forward to him joining the group and working with him going forward."

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Nathan Lowe believes in setting himself high targets - and the striker is aiming to be the Scottish Premiership's top scorer at the end of his season on loan to Hibernian from Stoke City.

Only 20, the Englishman describes himself as "an old head on young shoulders" and is not making any promises to fans he realises would have been disappointed with last season's fifth-place finish.

But he told Hibs TV: "One thing about me, you can say what you want, but I will be in the area to score goals because that's the only reason I play football.

"That's what gets me up every morning to go and train.

"I don't think I could be a right-back or left-back or anything like that - I was born to be a striker."

Lowe scored 18 goals in half a season on loan to League Two's Walsall, then seven in half a season with Stockport County in League One and four to finish off last season with Wycombe Wanderers, also in England's third tier.

"By no means am I the finished article and I won't be at the end of this loan," he admitted.

"But every season I go into, my aim is to be the top goalscorer in the league.

"At Walsall, I was. Last season, not so much. Hopefully I can add to my tally significantly here."

Lowe was attracted to "a new challenge" of playing different teams and experiencing European football with Hibs.

"Hibs' aim should be third or higher and there's no reason why we can't do that and a good run in Europe and the cup competitions," he added.

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Hibernian have signed Nathan Lowe on a season-long loan from Stoke City, with head coach David Gray saying the forward was the "physical presence" and "natural goalscorer" he had been seeking.

The 20-year-old England Under-19 cap came through the Championship club's youth ranks and has already had loan spells with Walsall, Stockport County and Wycombe Wanderers.

Lowe made his senior debut in February 2023, signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Stoke the following January and has agreed an extension until 2029 to coincide with his loan to the Scottish Premiership.

He has made eight starts and 21 substitute appearances for Stoke, scoring twice, but it was with Walsall in League Two where he was most prolific, scoring 18 goals and providing seven assists in 30 appearances as he earned the English League Two Young Player of the Year Award.

Last season, he scored 11 as he spent the first half of the season with Stockport and the second with League One rivals Wycombe.

"He brings a great energy and enthusiasm about his play, as well as a physical presence," Gray told his club website.

"He is a natural goalscorer and he has proven that he can score a range of different types of goals.

"He has good experience too, having already played a substantial amount of games at a competitive level despite his young age."

Stoke sporting director Jonathan Walters told his club website: "Nathan has no doubt benefitted from the experiences he's had in Leagues One and Two and it speaks to his mature character that he wants to test himself in a new environment in Scotland.

"That he will also gain exposure to playing in European competition is something new and will only help his development.

"We will keep a close eye on his progression."

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Hibernian are "one step closer" to being ready for European football following their 1-1 draw with Porto in Portugal, says head coach David Gray.

Borja Sainz gave Porto the lead shortly before half-time but Felix Passlack levelled during the second period.

"I'm really pleased, and it was a really good exercise for what we set out to do," Gray told club media.

"It was a really good test for the players against a very good side. It was a positive result in the end, but there are a lot of things within it where we can improve."

Saturday's closed doors game at the Jorge Costa Training and Sports Development Centre gave Hibs' valuable game time before they enter the Conference League at the second qualifying round against either Vllaznia lead Malisheva.

Albania's Vllaznia lead their first qualifying round tie 2-1 before Wednesday's second leg in Kosovo and the first leg of the next round takes place on 23 July, with Hibs away from home first.

And Gray said: "It's been a short but beneficial camp and part of the reason we set the trip up was a test for the European campaign in terms of travelling the day before, training when we come over here, then playing the game and flying straight home because some of our players have not played in Europe before.

"I'm really grateful to FC Porto for taking the game on and putting a real strong side out as well. It was a real good test for the players and we'll take a lot of confidence from that and a lot of things to work on moving forward as well.

"We're definitely that one step closer to being ready for the European game."

Recent signings Azeem Abdulai, Jason Kerr and Callum Wright started in a Hibs team captained by Martin Boyle.

"The big thing is always about minutes in the legs and players getting fitter and stronger," said Gray.

"I know we've got the home fixture next weekend against Brondby to look forward to now, where the players are all in really good condition for that one.

"It's our last chance to get significant minutes into players before we go into the real stuff the following Thursday. It'll be a brilliant game.

"Callum missed the first couple of games when he joined, but we got a good 45 minutes out of him today. Azeem went and played 45 minutes during the week for us, and then we pushed him to 60 minutes today.

"Josh Mulligan got 90 minutes today, which he'll massively benefit from, especially when you think back to how his season ended last year.

"The squad is starting to take shape."