From their winter training camp in Dubai, where the Hibs players are preparing for the second half of the domestic season, Nick Montgomery has provided an update.
The Hibees coach and his staff have been putting in a lot of effort with them, including double workouts every day and a bounce game on Friday versus Servette, a Swiss team. Along with giving key players a chance to recover from injuries, the camp has been crucial for scouting potential trialists.
Adam Le Fondre, Harry McKirdy, Jake Doyle-Hayes, and Chris Cadden are making their way back, and the Hibs staff is keeping a watch on Brazilian playmaker Adryan and Leeds United defender Kris Moore. He verified that this month at Easter Road, both players had the opportunity to sign a contract.
“It’s been a good opportunity for us to get out and get back to training for a little bit,” he remarked in an interview with Hibs TV. It’s critical that we get the boys back into team training since it’s been crucial for some of them recovering from injuries. Le Fondre’s return, along with the appearances of Harry McKirdy, Chris Cadden, and Jake Doyle-Haye during the session, has been appreciated.
We wanted to really push the boys and put some effort into them because when we return, we have a few days before the cup game and then we have a pretty busy schedule. The weather has been great, and since we arrived, we have had double workouts every day. Reintegrating some of the injured boys into the squad is probably the most crucial thing to do. This doesn’t guarantee that they will be healthy and available for selection, but getting them back into team training is crucial for their rehabilitation after sustained long-term injuries.
“We had two teams tonight, mixed in with some of the younger guys and some documented trial players, as we weren’t able to field enough players for the two games we were scheduled to play over here. We looked at Kris Moore, a young defender from Leeds, and since we didn’t have enough players to bring him to the camp, it was a nice chance to bring him in and see how he would fit at right back with Lewis Miller out. Through a contact, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for Adryana, a Brazilian player who has been out of the game for a few months due to a family situation, to come and train with us and have a look at him as well. Adryana was training in Dubai. There are a lot of benefits to be gained from the camp, and it has been incredibly great for many reasons.”
Montgomery continued, “You have to understand that when you’ve been out with a long term injury there is a lot of mental anguish there and anxiousness.” Montgomery was speaking especially about the injured players, starting with Chris Cadden. Cads has always put in a lot of effort to return and interact with the lads, so seeing him back there and the boys laughing during team training sessions has been incredibly beneficial for his confidence.
Harry McKirdy experienced the same thing: returning from such a significant injury, feeling confident, and working with the squad. Sometimes, being injured can be a very isolating place, and it may seem like you’ll never be able to go back fit and with the guys, so it’s a big deal when you’ve had a long-term injury.
“Adam Le Fondre has resumed his semi-formal non-contact activities with the youngsters. He has been out for a few months due to a very significant injury, so it’s great to see the boys back with the club. It’s crucial that we attempt to get as many players back as we can as we enter the second half of the season.”
The Hibs coach concluded by discussing the efforts he and football director Brian McDermott have been making to try and locate qualified recruits during the January transfer window. “With Brian and the recruitment team, I’ve been working really hard. We’ve been looking at ways to bring one or two in to really help us,” he stated. Naturally, we need to be able to hire the appropriate players, and we’re constantly working to make that happen.
“As I’ve already stated, the situation is always shifting, therefore we are unable to add players who won’t actually have an impact on the squad. They must be prepared to jump right in and help out. Regretfully, not many gamers within our price range have been playing games that are available in January.”
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