Cieran Slicker a Hibs transfer 'target' but David Gray faces competition from Premiership rivals

Hibs are looking at a loan for Scotland under-21s goalkeeper Cieran Slicker but face competition from Premiership rivals, according to a report.

The 21-year-old was understudy to Vaclav Hladky as Ipswich Town won promotion to the Premier League by finishing second in the Championship but the Tractor Boys are now looking to loan him out to gain first team experience. The Hibees, under new boss David Gray, need to acquire number one after David Marshall moved on at the end of his contract.

Slicker is one they are looking at, according to the Scottish Sun. Newly appointed sporting director Malky Mackay is familiar with the shotstopper from his spell as the SFA's performance director. But Kilmarnock are set to rival the capital club for his loan signature. Will Dennis has gone back to Bournemouth after his loan and while Derek McInnes is keen on bringing him back, Slicker could be another option.

The young keeper started out in Manchester City's academy but made the move to Portman Road last summer. Born in Oldham, he is eligible for Scotland an has 17 caps for the under-21s.

Discussing his hopes for a loan, Slicker said: “Now definitely is the time for me to go and play and I feel like I am in a good position to do so. I want to go out and play games, that’s the main thing for me.

“I always enjoy coming away with the 21s, but I want to show people I can do it week in and week out. We’ve had a lot of discussions with the manager and goalkeeping coach and everyone is on the same page with it. So now we are looking for options to see what is the best platform to help me kick on. That’s the plan.

“Perhaps people will look at it and see that I didn’t play too many games, but being around the squad and working with the manager and his staff has been almost as good as playing 30 games. So it was actually an important season.”