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'Living legend' Gray advanced Hibs, says Newell

Hibernian team captain Joe Newell has praised David Gray following the manager's dismissal on Wednesday, ending a 12-year association with Easter Road. The decision came with the Edinburgh outfit sitting ninth in the Scottish Premiership standings after six fixtures, having suffered three consecutive league losses.

The 33-year-old midfielder, who joined the club in 2019 alongside Gray and was later appointed skipper by him, stated that the playing squad shares responsibility for the recent struggles while commending Gray for shielding his roster.

Newell maintained that his former boss achieved substantial success that will be increasingly valued over time, noting Gray steered Hibs to third and fifth-place league finishes during his managerial tenure. The departing coach had already cemented his legacy as a player by captaining Hibernian to the 2016 Scottish Cup title, netting the decisive injury-time goal against Rangers at Hampden.

Newell emphasized that the squad still has ample opportunity to turn the current campaign into a successful one under incoming leadership.