Hibs: Awards won't dull Paul Hanlon's pain

Hibs skipper Paul Hanlon today admitted the string of awards he's picked up from fans and his team-mates at Easter Road have done little to ease the pain of a disappointing season.

• Paul Hanlon

While Colin Calderwood's side slid towards a miserable tenth place finish -their worst in almost a decade - Scotland Under-21 defender Hanlon was picking up trophy after trophy.

The 21-year-old was voted Players' Player of the Season by the rest of Calderwood's squad, topped the poll for Hibernian TV's Player of the Year, picked up the Young Player of the Year award from the Hibs' Supporters Association and took over the captain's armband.

While delighted to be recognised by these accolades, Hanlon confessed Hibs had suffered a bitterly disappointing campaign as they failed to emulate their fourth place finish of the previous year.

The highlight, he agreed, was a seven-match unbeaten run which halted Hibs' slide towards the danger zone. Hanlon said: "It was an important part of the season and we managed to get the results at the right time. Those results got us out of trouble, although in the end it was very disappointing not to make the top six."

But having begun the season in and out of the team, Hanlon established himself as a first team regular from January onwards and his now determined to retain his place from the opening day of the new season.

He told Hibs TV: "Playing every week has a made a massive difference to my game and being made captain was an honour. If the manager needs to me to do that again next season then I'm more than happy to do it. Being a supporter of the club and then being asked to captain the club was something I was delighted with."