Joe Newell: 'Living legend' David Gray can be proud of his Hibs record

Hibernian captain Joe Newell has spoken out in support of former manager David Gray, who recently departed the club. Newell hailed Gray as a "living legend" and insisted that his time at Easter Road should be remembered as a success.

Gray's 12-year association with the club ended this week following a difficult run of three consecutive defeats, which left Hibs sitting ninth in the Scottish Premiership. "It's been a tough week for everyone," Newell stated. "He always took responsibility, always protected his players, which I thought was noble and kind of summed him up as a man."

His time in charge of the club was a massive success. The more time goes on, the more people will appreciate that. Joe Newell

Gray famously captained Hibs to their historic 2016 Scottish Cup victory, scoring the stoppage-time winner against Rangers in the final. Beyond that iconic moment, Newell pointed to the progress the side made during Gray's tenure as a rookie head coach.

Looking ahead, Newell remains confident that the current squad can turn the season around. The team is now shifting focus to Saturday's clash against Aberdeen and a major Premier Sports Cup semi-final against rivals Heart of Midlothian on November 1st. "There's no crisis in terms of saving the season," the midfielder added. "I'm massively confident that we can still achieve what we've set out to achieve."