Nick Montgomery confident Hibs can finish season strong with seven new faces and five returning players

Nick Montgomery leads the Hibs training session on Friday ahead of the visit of St Mirren. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Hibs manager insists things looking up for his side after busy January transfer window

Nick Montgomery is confident Hibs are equipped for a strong finish to the season after adding seven new players during the transfer window.

Forwards Emiliano Marcondes, Myziane Maolida and Eliezer Mayenda, midfielders Luke Amos and Nathan Moriah-Welsh, and defenders Owen Bevan and Nectar Triantis all checked in at Easter Road over the past month, while fringe men like Christian Doidge, James Jeggo, Allan Delferriere and Harry McKirdy were offloaded.

With Martin Boyle, Lewis Miller and Rocky Bushiri also set to return from international duty, and Chris Cadden and Adam Le Fondre on the way back from injury, Montgomery is relishing the increased competition for places within his team.

“Very busy, but also healthy in terms of bringing in quality players,” said the Hibs boss as he reflected on his first transfer window since replacing Lee Johnson in September.

“Now we really have got competition for places. We’ve had a really stretched squad but that’s seven out and seven in and I think the seven that have come in are going to really contribute from now until the end of the season.

“Some of them have come from big clubs and also possibly with a point to prove, and all the players I brought in had different options. Once we get the boys back from international duty in the next couple of weeks the squad will be looking very healthy.”

Three of Hibs’ January signings have already featured but Mayenda, Moriah-Welsh, Bevan and Triantis will all be hoping to make their debuts in Saturday’s cinch Premiership match at home to St Mirren.

“Some of them have only had a couple of training sessions so it might not happen overnight but I’m very confident with the quality of players I’ve brought in and they’re coming into a good culture,” said Montgomery.

“I think this window has given me a real opportunity to bring in some players because coming in after pre-season with the team bottom of the league, it was a challenge. I’ve tried to put together a squad I feel can compete from now until the end of the season and finish as high up the league as we can.”

Defender Triantis is looking forward to working under Montgomery again after winning the A-League title with the Englishman at Central Coast Mariners last season before moving to Sunderland in the summer.

“Nick was a big factor in me coming here,” said the 20-year-old Australian. “I know his vision as a coach and what he wants in a player and I think I fit his mould. I enjoyed my time with him previously. I evolved a lot as a player under him and hopefully I can do that again this season.”

Meawhile, Stephen Robinson claimed his St Mirren squad is as “strong as it’s ever been” despite missing out on Dutch striker Kevin van Veen on transfer deadline day, the 32-year-old joining Kilmarnock on loan from Groningen until the end of the season.

He said: “We were quite happy with the business we had already done so it was a case of seeing if there was anything that could improve us but nothing came to fruition so we turned our phones off nice and early. I was in bed for 10 o’clock. I’m really happy with the signings we made and we have a really strong squad.”