Hibs vs Rangers: David Gray believes Easter Road 'the last place Rangers would want to come'

The Easter Road side are unbeaten in their last five games; David Gray has been named Scottish Premiership manager of the month for December; watch Hibs vs Rangers on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, from 11am

By Alison Conroy & Luke Shanley

Saturday 4 January 2025 13:49, UK

Hibs head coach David Gray believes Easter Road is "last place Rangers would want to come" despite being on a high from their Old Firm victory against Celtic.

Philippe Clement takes his side to the capital on Sunday to take on the Scottish Premiership's most in-form team, live on Sky Sports.

They are unbeaten in their last five games after a dismal start which saw questions asked about Gray's position just months into his first permanent managerial job.

And the former Hibs captain is challenging his players to continue their run and break into the top six.

"It'll be a really good game to look forward to," the Premiership manager of the month for December told Sky Sports News.

"I think that's one thing I would say - I think the last place that Rangers would want to come right now is the in-form team in the league, which is ourselves, so that's the confidence we need to take from that.

"Yes, they're off the back of a fantastic win in the Old Firm game but we need to take the confidence from the position we've put ourselves in and how we've been playing of late and take that confidence into the game. It'll be tough, but if we can play to the best of our ability we know we're a match for anyone."

Rangers edged Hibs in their first league meeting of the season, winning 1-0 at Ibrox in September.

"We're in a very different place from when we played them the last time, and I think that can only be a positive, but at the same time you can't take that for granted," the head coach added.

"It will be a difficult game but it's one that as I've already touched on there the players really need to look forward to.

"It's a very different game at home as well."

Jake Doyle-Hayes and Josh O'Connor have left the club since the transfer window opened on January 1 with Nohan Kenneh returning to Ross County on loan for the rest of the season.

Gray is hopeful he will be given money to strengthen his squad this month.

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Hibernian's Dwight Gayle says he could reconsider his plans to retire, weeks after the former Crystal Palace and Newcastle Utd forward, 35, said he was thinking about hanging up his boots in the summer.

"I don't think you can really put a number on it. I think naturally with the window being open there will be ins and outs.

"The work's been going on tirelessly for a number of weeks now.

"[We're] always looking to be proactive in the window because you never know what can come up, and we've always said that if the right thing can be done, the club have been very supportive of me on that front trying to make the squad better - and if it can be done I'm sure we'll do that.

"We've also got a lot of injuries to come back as well, and when you add them back to the group we are in a healthy position. It's about now maintaining that momentum and positivity going forward."