David Gray says he expects Nectar Triantis to be a dominant presence for Hibs.

The 21-year-old Australian has returned to Easter Road on a season-long long deal from Sunderland. Triantis had an initial spell at Hibs during the latter half of last season, making 10 appearances. Initially deployed in the heart of defence, Triantis' best showings for the Hibees came as a defensive midfielder, with head coach is keen to use him in that role once more. The head coach is confident the former Central Coast Mariners prospect will bring  'strong defensive mindset and discipline' to the middle of the pitch.

“I’m delighted to bring Nectar back to the club," Gray told Hibs' official website. "He’s someone I really enjoyed working with last season and he’s another great character to add to the dressing room. Nectar is someone I see as a defensive midfielder who has also played a lot at centre-back, which naturally gives him a strong defensive mindset and discipline to dominate the middle of the pitch. I look forward to working with him once again.”

Sporting director Malky Mackay says a deal to bring Triantis in once more has been ongoing since the early stages of the transfer window, and believes his Scottish Premiership experience will facilitate a seamless transition back into the Hibs side.

“Nectar is someone we identified early on in the transfer window, and we’ve been working hard to get this deal done," said Mackay. “After spending six months here last season, Nectar has a full understanding of the Club and knows the standard of the league, which will help him to hit the ground running. We felt it important to add another good professional to an evolving group in the dressing room, and we are delighted to welcome him back.”

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Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman challenged Triantis to build on his initial spell at Hibs and become a key player under Gray, while insisting he very much remains a part of the Black Cats' future plans.

"Nectar thoroughly enjoyed his time at Hibernian last season, and it played an important role in his continued development," he said. "Upon returning to Easter Road, his challenge is to now become a leading player in their team. He will be entering a familiar environment, and we hope this will allow him to maintain a high level of performance throughout the season ahead of a return to Sunderland next summer to challenge for a place in our team."