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The Hibs head coach has taken advice from key figures at Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Hibs head coach David Gray has lauded behind the scenes visits to witness the work of Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Alongside former teammate and Hibs U19s head coach Darren McGregor, the Easter Road boss was part of the Scottish FA’s UEFA Pro Licence cohort that enjoyed an educational three-day visit to David Moyes and Sean Dyche’s Premier League set-ups last month.
The journey began at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground where Gray and McGregor were able to hear from Moyes, who began his coaching journey with the Scottish FA. He provided a presentation on his career and the challenges he’s faced, with tips on how he addressed them.
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Why Hibs boss visited Everton and Nottingham Forest
Two days were then spent around Nottingham Forest and included open access to first team training with manager Dyche, who also held a discussion over his experiences in the game, having also been boss at Everton, Burnley and Watford. Gray and co heard from key City Ground staff members as part of their trip where topics like integrating of data and AI in recruitment, the club’s talented player performance programme, use of loans and the role of a set-piece coach were also discussed.
Footage of the visit has now been released online. The Hibs boss said: “When you see the real access we’ve got here at Nottingham Forest, and the presentations that high-quality staff have put on for us, it’s absolutely brilliant. Attending Everton and speaking to David Moyes, someone who is very experienced and has been as successful as he has been, is something that will benefit every candidate that’s for sure.”
Dyche was keen to give back to candidates, the Nottingham Forest boss commenting: “I progressed through a similar journey where I completed all the licences, and I think it’s always good if you can get to see people that have been involved in the game for a while, like myself, and it’s nice to give something back so I’m more than happy to help.
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“I always think the best coaches are the best thieves, to see how much information you can pinch off people and put it in your own ideas. One piece of advice can make you think differently, so I’m always open-minded to new ways of thinking whilst also implementing my own ideas.”
Another member of the cohort who joined Gray and McGregor on the trip was Ayr United boss Scott Brown, who started his career at Hibs before featuring at Celtic. He said: “It’s fantastic insight for us to see how they work day to day, to see what we are doing as well, and seeing how close we can mirror their training regimes and fitness levels. I really enjoyed speaking to David and David, both were very honest.”
Ritchie Wilson, Head of Coach Education & Development, added: “We brought the UEFA Pro Licence 2024 cohort to visit Nottingham Forest across two days, gaining an insight into how a Premier League club operates at a high level. Before that, we were in at Everton and spent some time with David Moyes who was passing on his experiences as a manager to the group.
“The Pro Licence is all about learning new experiences, and both clubs have been fantastic examples of how these elite level clubs operate, across all different departments. We’re hugely grateful to both clubs for welcoming us and putting on such a varied programme that I’m certain our candidates will have taken a great deal from.”
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