Hibs coach Grant Murray admits he is grateful Neil Lennon took him under his wing, and insists the former Celtic manager’s winning mentality has spread through the entire club.
One-time Hearts defender Murray acts as a number three in the dugout for the first team on match days alongside head coach Lennon and Garry Parker.
The 42-year-old is also in charge of a development team that has already wrapped up the league title and is chasing Scottish Youth Cup glory.
Likewise, the senior squad are enjoying an impressive first season back in the Premiership after Saturday’s richly-deserved victory over champions-elect Celtic left the Leith club firmly in contention for second place.
Former Raith Rovers boss Murray is bidding to deliver the double with the under-20s in Thursday’s final against Aberdeen at Hampden and insists Lennon has changed the whole mind-set at the club.
He said: “It’s been great for myself since the manager came in a couple of seasons ago, both he and Garry took me under their wing.
“Before that I was just involved with the under-20s.
“I’d just came in actually and had been working with Joe McBride with the 20s, and Eddie May as well.
“You’re always learning in the game as well.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the first team this season and the development squad, and up until now it’s been fantastic.
“There is no complacency with the manager, that’s just the demands that he has.
“It’s the same demands he puts on himself to make sure everything’s ready for the first team going out on a Saturday and winning points.
“That’s everyone’s sole aim and it just filters through the club. These young guys have got to learn those traits as well and they’ve shown that this season.
“We try and flush that right through the club, with the young ones as well.
“People talk about that winning mentality but that has to come from within as well, but there’s the standards and demands the manager’s set for the players as well, and at the moment they’re living up to that.
“It’s a great feeling for these guys, coming in everyday and that feeling of the first team winning rubs off on these young guys and it makes the place very happy with stuff to look forward to.
“The younger guys have the final on Thursday and the first team are pushing for second place, which is great for them.”
Hibs delayed Celtic’s inevitable title celebrations by condemning Brendan Rodgers’ side to only their third league defeat with Saturday’s 2-1 victory and Murray insists that performance was a culmination of what Lennon is building.
He added: “It shows the desire that the squad have got. Coming up against the Old Firm is hard and Celtic coming to Easter Road is difficult enough without them trying to win the league.
“But these guys are professionals and they certainly didn’t want Celtic going away having won the league. There’s a lot at stake for these guys as well and the three points were massive.
“There’s still some difficult games to go from now until the end of the season, none more so than the Kilmarnock game on Saturday.”
Murray, who led Raith to a stunning Challenge Cup final victory over Rangers in 2014, has not managed at first team level since leaving the Stark’s Park outfit in April 2015 and insists he is no rush to return to management.
He added: “I’m just happy with what I’m doing at the moment. Being able to pass on stuff that I’ve learned from the first team to the 20s as well.”
