Among sporting director Malky Mackay's biggest priorities this summer is kickstarting the shaping of Hibs' squad into something more streamlined and sustainable.
It wasn't a surprising admission by any means, but in an exclusive interview with the Hibs Observer last week, he acknowledged that there are simply too many players on the books. Shifting everyone who is surplus to requirements in a single summer is unrealistic, though, with plenty still having one year remaining on their contracts, and it'll be summer 2025 before we see those decks cleared completely.
After a poor 23/24 campaign, there are also question marks over players who are probably not going to leave, yet still have much to prove under the leadership of new head coach David Gray. Even with loan players heading back to parent clubs, contracts coming to an end, and a few early summer departures being finalised, Hibs still have 32 contracted players on full-time deals, and it's something Mackay knows cannot continue for much longer.
He and Gray will sit down to survey the squad before pre-season begins in earnest, assessing where they feel every player fits, or does not, into the jigsaw. As that process begins, we've looked at all those under contract to assess where they stand ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Goalkeepers
Jojo Wollacott
Signed for a fee last summer from Charlton Athletic, the 27-year-old was very much understudy to David Marshall during his first season, making seven appearances in all competitions. His contract runs until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, and it's fair to say Wollacott has not yet proven he can be a Hibs number one. With Marshall out injured post-split, he was handed an opportunity to show what he can do, only to make a costly error up at Ross County that led to the hosts' winning goal, and he noticeably struggled with his kicking on the final day at Livingston. Following Marshall's retirement and move into a backroom role, Hibs are actively in the market for a goalkeeper, and you suspect they'll be eyeing a new number one, not a squad option.
Murray Johnson
The 19-year-old has joined Airdrieonians for the entire season, with Hibs holding no recall option in the agreement. His contract at Easter Road runs until the end of the 2026/27 season, so he has plenty of time yet to make a breakthrough. At this point, though, more first team experience is key.
READ MORE: Why Gray's Hibs backroom staff picks make perfect sense
Max Boruc
The 21-year-old keeper has been on loan at a struggling Arbroath since January, making 13 Championship appearances. Boruc has now entered the final year of his Hibs contract, and it remains to be seen whether he can become part of the first team setup for the coming year. He may get a chance to prove himself in pre-season under a new manager.
Defenders
Chris Cadden
After eight, gruelling months on the sidelines with a ruptured achilles tendon, Cadden may just have been in a minority who were in no hurry to see the season end. After making his return off the bench against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup, the 27-year-old was handed a first start since May 2023 in the next round as Rangers came to Easter Road. From there, he didn't look back, and played almost every week in the absence of the injured Lewis Miller. With both Cadden and Miller - plus the emerging Kanayo Megwa - vying for that right-back role, it is one of few areas Hibs will not be urgently looking to strengthen in the summer window. With a full pre-season under his belt, Cadden will feel he can again become a key player under a new manager.
Lewis Miller
One of a few initially seemed to benefit from Nick Montgomery's arrival, looking ready to go to another level before his season began to stutter, not helped by injury issues. The 23-year-old has all the attributes to be a top Premiership full-back, and next season's challenge will be for him to tie it all together. It will be interesting to observe how Miller deals with the challenge of Cadden, and possibly Megwa, for a starting berth under a new manager. It could be the making of him as a Hibs player.
Kanayo Megwa
A real prospect, and the time could soon come for Hibs to consider how his progression into the first-team can be best facilitated. Megwa won considerable plaudits and a wealth of admirers for a strong season on loan at an impressive Airdrieonians side, with two spells either side of a brief recall to help bolster what was a severely depleted Hibs squad in January. In hindsight, it was, perhaps, a little unfair to throw the teenager right in at the deep end for some very tough fixtures away at Kilmarnock and at home to Rangers, albeit the personnel shortage was especially bad at the time. Gray will be able to assess just how much Megwa has progressed after accruing almost 2500 minutes in the second tier, and whether he is now ready for a step up to the Premiership.
Rory Whittaker
The club's youngest ever first team player when he made his debut against St Johnstone back in September, the future looks bright for the 16-year-old academy prospect. Whittaker featured intermittently during Montgomery's first few months, getting a feel for the standards required to make it at Hibs. His inexperience told, at times, and returning players saw him back playing with the development squad over the last few months. The most likely next step is the club deciding whether he will continue in the academy ranks, or head out on loan for some more senior experience. Still very much one for the future.
Rocky is now Hibs' most senior centre-back (Image: SNS Group)
Rocky Bushiri
As it stands, Rocky is now Hibs' most senior central defender, with Paul Hanlon moving on and Will Fish returning to Manchester United. Still just 24, it seems imperative that the club recruit experience for the backline when the transfer window opens, but there should still be a place in the squad for the DR Congo international moving forward. Rocky still splits opinion but, overall, he had a solid campaign, adapting to a new style of play and showing signs of improvement. If he can cut out the intermittent errors out of his game, he can still be a valuable asset moving forward.
Riley Harbottle
Barring a quite significant turnaround, Harbottle is among those in line to be moved on this summer. He was the only outfield player Montgomery inherited not to make an appearance, with the former manager feeling he was not suited to the way he wanted to play. The 23-year-old went on loan to Colchester United in January, and it feels unlikely we will see him in competitive action for Hibs again. With his contract running until the end of 2025/26, however, the club will have to find a suitor willing to pay a fee for his services, and it'll be over to Mackay to make such deck-clearing transfers happen.
READ MORE: Malky Mackay exclusive on transfers, Foley investment, Youan interest
Kyle McClelland
The 22-year-old has joined Coleraine on-loan until the end of the coming season, following spells with Cove and Queen of the South. Looks certain to leave upon the expiry of his contract next summer.
Jordan Obita
A double winner at the end of season awards night, the onus is now on Obita to further establish himself as a leadership figure next season, amid a significant turnover of senior players. With Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson now longer around, he will be among the group expected to set standards when, as expected, the stream of new faces begin to arrive. The 30-year-old was one of few truly consistent performers last term, but it does feel as though a more effective system and style could extract even more from him, especially as an attacking outlet.
Oscar MacIntyre
It's been a formative year for the young full-back, who spent it on loan at Queen of the South and then Annan Athletic. He established himself as a regular in both teams, and could see an opening to push into first-team contention this summer with Hibs having only one senior left-back on the books in Obita. MacIntyre is contracted until the end of 25/26, so there's plenty of time yet for him to impress.
Midfielders
Joe Newell
The captain is now the senior man at Hibs, and he will bear the greatest responsibility in leading a new-look team. Newell often takes an unfair share of flak when things are going well, but he never hides on the pitch, and this fresh challenge will likely only invigorate him further. Hibs' midfield was often too unsettled throughout the season and, at times, it felt as though Newell was attempting to do several jobs at once. Whether it be new personnel, or an effective system, the 31-year-old would surely benefit from not having to be everywhere all at once. Above all, though, the expectation will be that he and select others will pull together to fill that Hanlon and Stevenson shaped void.
Nathan Moriah-Welsh
The 22-year-old January arrival from Bournemouth did enough during his short spell to win Young Player of the Year, and he led the team on a number of defensive metrics from midfield. A Guyana international, he brings a different profile in the middle, and seems well-suited to the physicality of the Scottish game. If he can brush up a few rough edges, he already has the tools to become a key player moving forward. Moriah-Welsh is another who should benefit from having a full pre-season under his belt.
Dylan Levitt
A conundrum for the Gray. Signed for not-inconsiderable money last summer, there is no doubting Levitt's technical ability or potential to produce big moments, but his first season at Hibs was - like many of his team-mates - defined by inconsistency. There would be moments of real quality followed by costly carelessness, made all the more frustrating for the fact that it's abundantly clear what the 23-year-old Welshman is capable of when things click. In his defence, he moved through the season without being given a settled role; Levitt played deep in a double pivot, as part of a flat three, and as a number 10 at various points. Montgomery suggested confidence has been an issue, albeit a fixable one with the right guidance. Plenty fans remain unconvinced, but Levitt's raw talent feels worth persisting with.
A big season awaits for Josh Campbell (Image: SNS Group)
Josh Campbell
By his own admission, Campbell initially struggled to find a place under Montgomery in his 4-4-2 setup. Ever-versatile, though, he had begun to find ways of contributing before being cruelly taken out by an ankle injury sustained in the December Edinburgh derby. The 24-year-old returned to action at the tail end of the season, and looked hungry when given chances to play in his preferred number 10 role. It remains to be seen whether he can find the consistency and quality to be a key player, but there is no doubt he remains a highly useful option, and, amid all the anticipated change, ticks that box of knowing what it means to play for Hibs. You feel his career is reaching a crossroads this summer, and next season will be a pivotal one for him.
Luke Amos
An interesting signing upon his January arrival, Amos was highly-rated upon his breakthrough at Queens Park Rangers before injuries took over. He came to Hibs as a player with decent pedigree in need of a platform to get his career back on track. He was, though, unable to find any consistent fitness and remains somewhat of an unknown quantity in a Hibs jersey. Mackay has made a point of mentioning that Hibs are overloaded in central midfield, and he's right that it does look especially crowded in that area. Amos will hope that an injury-free pre-season can allow him to begin showing the new manager, and the Hibs fans, what he's all about.
READ MORE: Malky Mackay exclusive - why Hibs appointed David Gray
Jake Doyle-Hayes
The Irishman truly cannot catch a break, and missed almost the entire season thanks to repeated setbacks in his recovery from an ankle injury. It might sound a tad harsh, but it's difficult to make any assertions about his role moving forward until he can find any sort of consistent fitness. Making the bench in the final games of the season will have come as a boost, and that will, hopefully, signal the beginning of the end of a miserable period for him.
Allan Delferriere
The midfielder signed a new contract early in Montgomery's tenure, but featured only once off the bench as he struggled through a second-half appearance in a home draw with Ross County. Delferriere went on loan to MFK Vyskov in January, and he could be among those moved on to bring the squad size down, whether that be permanently or via another loan.
Ewan Henderson
Another whose future seems likely to lie away from Easter Road. Henderson spent the season with KV Oostende, but with the Belgian club heading for bankruptcy, the prospect of a permanent move there has faded. At the very least, he seems likely to have offers elsewhere in Scotland.
Nohan Kenneh
Kenneh was a regular on loan at Shrewsbury Town until a change of manager in February, and he barely featured under Paul Hurst in the remainder of the season. In an illuminating interview, Hurst tiptoed around an inference he felt the 23-year-old's skillset was very limited, and it would be no surprise to see a permanent Hibs departure facilitated over the summer.
Rudi Molotnikov
One of a few academy prospects drafted in by Montgomery, Molotnikov made one start in the scruffy Scottish Cup win over Forfar Athletic in January. He joined Stirling Albion on loan in February and, having just turned 18 last week, another loan could be beneficial.
Murray Aiken
Another of a clutch of academy talents who have gone to Airdrie to cut their teeth. But he was unable to make the most of his loan due to an ankle fracture that required surgery back in November. Aiken got back on the pitch earlier this month but the season was largely a write-off for the 19-year-old, and his next steps are unclear with a year remaining on his Hibs contract.
Forwards
Martin Boyle
Another whose position as a standard-bearer could take on even greater importance - if he stays. We didn't see anything like vintage Boyle last season, but that can be said of any number in a green and white shirt, and he can still be a key player moving forward. However, Boyle went on international duty with Australia last week and, when speaking to local media, didn't rule out the prospect of leaving Hibs for the A-League this summer. At 31, and having been through the gruelling struggle of an ACL injury recovery, as well as a freak concussion incident that could have been much worse, Boyle may feel the time is right to to fulfil a long-held ambition on the other side of the world.
Elie Youan
Mackay has confirmed there is 'significant interest' in the winger, but says the club's valuation of him has not yet been met amid reported suitors from Ligue 1 and Serie A. The most likely outcome does seem that Youan will move on this summer. He chipped in heavily with goals and assists last season despite, harshly, never fully winning over the fanbase. A player whose contribution will only be fully appreciated after he's gone, but it does feel as though this may be the right time to part ways, especially if the quoted seven figures are then reinvested into Gray's squad.
READ MORE: Exclusive - David Marshall's new Hibs role explained
Dylan Vente
A prolific goalscorer in the Dutch second tier, the striker was not able to replicate that form in a difficult first season at Easter Road. Vente was asked to play out of position for a chunk of it, and picked up a troublesome ankle injury that disrupted his second half of the campaign. There's no question he needs to improve his numbers, but his past goalscoring record suggests he's a player who could thrive in a more effective system. Worth sticking with.
Jair Tavares
Enjoyed a mini-renaissance in the early weeks of Montgomery's tenure before performances plateaued and he mainly featured off the bench thereafter. The Portuguese deserves credit for grafting his way back into contention after being frozen out by Lee Johnson, but Hibs will most probably be looking to upgrade this summer.
Harry McKirdy
In a season of few feel-good moments, McKirdy getting back on the pitch after undergoing heart surgery was undoubtedly great to see. He went back on loan to former club Swindon Town to rebuild his fitness in January, making nine appearances in EFL League Two. As Hibs seek to move and rebuild, though, a parting of the ways could be on the cards, one that allows McKirdy to properly restart his career.
Josh Landers
The 17-year-old made three appearances under Montgomery, including a late Hampden cameo in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen. Having only signed his first professional deal last summer, he could make loan move this summer for more senior experience.
Dan Mackay
A promising player signed from Inverness Caledonian Thistle three years ago, Mackay has managed only seven appearances in a Hibs jersey. He's been farmed out on multiple loans, including back to Inverness and most recently to Livingston, and still has a year left on his Hibs deal. There's some sentiment among Hibs fans that Mackay hasn't had a fair crack of the whip at Easter Road, but it very much remains to be seen as to whether it's too late for him to make an impact.
Josh O'Connor
The 19-year-old striker made 33 appearances on loan at Airdrie last season, scoring five times. One who will be assessed over the summer as his contract enters its final year, and he'll no doubt be desperate to make a push into the senior setup.
Malik Zaid
One of the stars of the Hibs U-18 side that impressed hugely in the UEFA Youth League in 2022/23, Zaid has been on-loan at Edinburgh City since January. He's another in that group of youngsters whose deals expire at the end of next term, and this summer could be a crossroads moment as he seeks to make a breakthrough.
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