Ex-Celtic captain Brown hails Gray ahead of Hibs testimonial

Ex-Hibs skipper Gray, 35, scored one of the most iconic goals in the Easter Road side's history in 2016, as his stoppage-time header against Rangers ended the club’s 114-year wait for a win in the competition.

READ MORE - What Fraser Fyvie 'just knew' about David Gray ahead of Hibs hero's testimonial

Both players will feature in a Hibs XI set to take on a Manchester United XI this Sunday as some familiar faces return to Easter Road in a celebration of Gray’s nine-year association with the club The former full-back, who now serves as assistant manager to Nick Montgomery, has already enjoyed a special dinner in his name and Brown feels there is no-one more deserving of a big send-off.      

“It’s a huge honour to be a part of Dave's testimonial for what he’s done for the club. To win the Scottish Cup after so many years, it must mean the world to him and hopefully we’ll see a good turnout from the Hibs fans to repay the loyalty he's given to the club," he said. 

“I think Dave and his family are settled up here. They are happy in Edinburgh, and I think he’s made it his home now. I think after he retires from whatever he does, he’ll stay in Edinburgh as that's part of him now and the club is a huge part of him too.”

Gray made 177 appearances for the club and since hanging up his boots has been appointed caretaker manager on three separate occasions. He’ll return to the pitch for a swansong alongside the likes of Steven Whittaker, Efe Ambrose and Grant Holt, and Brown reckons they’ll relish getting stuck into a few final challenges.

“Dave was one of these guys, kind of like me, that probably knew it was a 50/50 but left it until it was a 40/60 in the other’s favour to tackle a little bit harder. When he played he wanted to win, just like myself. He had that skinhead, I had that skinhead, and the two of us wanted the best for our football clubs when we played.

"I’ve played golf with him a few times and been in his company quite a lot, he’s an honest lad and he did a fantastic job playing for Hibs for so long. He’s quite easy going, quite relaxed, but he’s just as aggressive on the golf course as he was playing football – he drives the ball a mile."

And following a difficult start to the season which saw manager Lee Johnson sacked after just three league games, Brown hopes the occasion will bring a bit of cheer to the Hibs faithful.

“I’m looking forward to it, I've seen a few of the lads on Instagram doing all sorts of runs and keeping fit. With the likes of Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown and Danny Simpson playing for United, there are going to be a lot of good players. The pace of the game might be a little slower than what most fans are used to, but we’ll give it a go," Brown added.

• A Hibs XI take on a Manchester Utd XI on Sunday October 15 at Easter Road Stadium, 2pm kick off, to celebrate David Gray’s testimonial year. Tickets for Hibs and United fans costing £10 are available here >>>