Hibs manager John Hughes says youngsters will have to work for their place

Hughes is ready to revolutionise the training regime for his youngsters, telling kids such as Kurtis Byrne, David Wotherspoon, Danny Galbraith, Paul Hanlon, Darren McCormack, Sean Welsh and Lee Currie they'll now be training "24/7".

Since taking over as Hibs manager from Mixu Paatelainen, Hughes and his backroom staff have been scrutinising and evaluating every aspect of how the club operates.

And now they are prepared to invoke a rigorous training regime on their promising youngsters, believing it will set the standard for future generations of kids to come.

He said: "It's something the coaching staff have identified. There's a good nucleus of perhaps eight or ten coming through together having stepped up from the Under-19s.

"But it is not good enough that they just train in the morning, have their lunch and go home. They've done nothing in the game yet and, if they want to be professional players, they have to realise this is the way it gets done. They won't be getting many afternoons off, it will be 24/7.

"They'll be back working to be the very best they can be, we'll have training programmes for

each of them, a lot of stuff on the training pitch such as individual skills, taking them through passages of play, working on technique – right foot, left foot – in the gym and so on.

"We'll be keep them working, we'll be demanding of them and if they embrace it then in another year I am certain they will be all the better for it.

"Since coming in we've been looking at everything, evaluating things and this is something the staff have identified.

"We've got these tremendous facilities at East Mains but there's no point in having them if we are not going to use them to the maximum.

"It's an ongoing process, setting the culture at the club for the rest coming through who will see how we do things at Hibs and what it takes to become the best player you can be.

"And it is up to us as coaches to make sure we help them realise that goal."

Meanwhile, Hughes was waiting on the return of Sol Bamba after the big defender played his second game in just four days as the Ivory Coast drew 2-2 with Germany in Gelsenkirchen last night, Lukas Podolski equalising for the hosts with his second goal of the game in injury time.

Bamba has been nursing a knee injury which forced him out of the derby but Hughes hopes he will report back later today ready to play in Saturday's SPL clash with St Mirren in Paisley.

He said: "We'll have the physio cast an eye over him and check his mindset but hopefully he'll be available for the weekend.

"We've had the chance to recharge our batteries while he's been playing two games."