Hibs in double transfer move as Leeds United teen heads north and Lee Johnson finally gets his man

Hibs boss Lee Johnson has moved quickly to secure the first two signings of his Easter Road tenure.

Goalkeeper David Marshall returns to Scotland after 15 years in English league football with Hull City, Derby County and Queen’s Park Rangers among his previous clubs, and will be joined on the road north by Leeds United teenager Nohan Kenneh.

Marshall, with 47 caps to his name, joins on a two-year pre-contract deal which begins in July while defensive midfielder Kenneh will also arrive in six weeks’ time on a three-year deal. The 19-year-old has featured for England at under-16 and under-17 level.

Johnson, who took the reigns at Easter Road last week, hailed “a real coup” in recruiting the highly-rated midfielder from Elland Road.

“He adds something extra to our squad and although his primary position is defensive midfield, he also offers us the versatility to play at the back.

“He’s a young player with a big presence and a lot of quality. He has a real desire to develop and play first-team football regularly.

“Nohan has had interest from around the UK and abroad, so this is a real coup for us. To reach his potential, he has to have the right attitude and desire to be the best he can.

“We are looking forward to working with him.”

Nohan Kenneh of Leeds United. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

The 6’2” Liberian-born midfielder will move at the end of his Elland Road deal, while Marshall will also head to Easter Road when his QPR contract ends next month.

Before then the goalkeeper will be part of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the forthcoming internationals against Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Armenia and potentially, a World Cup decider against Wales. A national hero for Scotland after his penalty shoot-out heroics in Serbia 18 months ago booked a place in last year’s Euro 2020 championships, Johnson also revealed Marshall has long been on his radar.

He added: “I’d like to offer David a very warm welcome. He’s an excellent goalkeeper and actually a player that I’ve tried to sign before.

“His experience will be invaluable for us both on and off the pitch. It’s vital that our senior players aren’t just great characters, but also help us set the standard around the training ground and on matchdays.”

Former Celtic goalkeeper David Marshall is moving back to Scotland to join Hibs. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Among the benefits of recruiting a goalkeeper of the 37-year-old’s experience, is the 550-plus game knowledge he can pass on to younger goalkeepers around him and Hibs’ head of recruitment, Ian Gordon, added on the club’s website: “We have a young, talented, ambitious team, but we know that if we want to be successful, we need to have a good balance in terms of experience and leadership, and David Marshall fits that mould perfectly.

“He is a real professional, who will push on the other ‘keepers and really help accelerate the development of our younger goalkeepers like Murray Johnson.”

He added: “Nohan is a really exciting young player that has a lot of potential and a number of quality attributes that will fit our style of play.

“This fits the model we are trying to introduce here at Hibernian FC, bringing in young, talented players that will not only strengthen our First Team, but ones that we can develop into even better players. This is a really positive signing for the Club.”