Nick Montgomery just needs to look to the man next to him in the Hibs dugout to understand the legendary status that is bestowed upon an Easter Road Scottish Cup hero.

David Gray, one of the Yorkshireman’s assistant coaches, headed home the winning goal when Hibs defeated Rangers 3-2 at Ibrox to win the trophy at Hampden in 2016, ending an 114-year wait to get their hands on that particular piece of silverware. It will go down as one of the most momentous events in the club’s history and Montgomery would dearly love to have his own to savour with Hibs. His team, currently struggling in the Premiership, put their league travails aside this Saturday when they take on last season’s finalists Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Highlands for a place in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

“I don’t need reminding of the success because David Gray is my assistant,” Montgomery remarked ahead of the Caley match. “Everyone calls him Sir David Gray, but he’s a really humble guy and probably doesn’t like that tag of everyone calling him that. But you see photos around the training ground and in the gym with that moment when he scored the winning goal. You see the stories and the You Tube videos and it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. So it’s great history and every cup competition is a great opportunity.”

Nick Montgomery takes his Hibs team to Inverness in the Scottish Cup this weekend.

How does Sir Nick Montgomery sound if Hibs do lift the cup? “Well, it would be nice!” he chuckled. “Nah, it’s something that David is really humble about, but we do have a laugh about it. I don’t think anyone can take that tag off him.”

Montgomery has already come close to a final in his short time at Hibs, losing narrowly to Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup last four. “I got to the semi-final in the last one and I thought we were unlucky not to make the final,” he said. “We know that is something that are proud for a manager and a team and something to get your teeth into. Major semi-finals and finals are something you really want to do.”

Hibs head north knowing they are in banana-skin territory against Duncan Ferguson’s Championship outfit. Their only win this year came in the Scottish Cup, a 1-0 triumph at Forfar, and they are winless in seven league matches. The performance in Wednesday’s stoppage-time defeat against Celtic was a marked improvement on previous displays and with the squad now looking healthier and stronger, Montgomery – who is hopeful playmaker Emilian Marcondes can be involved after a foot knock – plans to field a strong XI and make the quarter-finals. He will, however, have to change his preparations little due to VAR not being in operation at the Caledonian Stadium.

“Sometimes you are glad when you have it and sometimes when you don’t,” Montgomery said of the technology. “It’ll be different and what you can’t do is play for offsides that are tight and you maybe not get. The mentality has to be a little bit different because you are relying on sometimes a blatant decision. You know what you can’t do is anticipate anything and expect decisions to be overturned. Chopping and changing from VAR to not is definitely something you have to be cautious of. You do have to be aware. The ones where you know it’s maybe blatantly offside, you still have to finish the action.”

Hibs news: Sir David Gray reminder, Emiliano Marcondes latest, why VAR call will alter Caley prep