David Gray thanks Ben Kensell for swerving Hibs silent treatment and giving him belief to turn club round
David Gray has thanked outgoing Hibs chief Ben Kensell for not giving him the silent treatment as the club toiled at the basement. And the Easter Road boss insists the support he had from Kensell gave him the encouragement to transform their season.
The club announced the sudden departure of their chief executive on Thursday following three-and-a-half years in the post. Kensell had his critics among the fanbase but Gray will be forever grateful he stood by him during a woeful start to the league that saw Hibs collect just one win from 14 outings. And Gray, in his first full season as permanent boss, said: “I was appreciative of the support I got from the club and personally Ben.
“I wouldn’t say the support from Ben made it feel easier because it was always a difficult moment. But it did give me the belief and support I knew I could turn it round given the time. Sometimes conversations aren’t what you want to hear, they never are.
READ MORE: Jack Butland's Rangers starting spot splits the Jury as Ben Kensell sees Hibs legacy dissected
“But somebody needs to ask the difficult questions at times because we all want the same thing. We all want success, we all knew it needed to be better. It never went quiet during the difficult times.
“That would be the concern if I felt like you don’t hear anything from above, or the relationship changes in any sort of way. I was always getting asked about my situation, rightly so because of where we were in the league, and underachievement of the group, that’s 100 per cent my responsibility.
“I knew that was an area I had to improve quickly and the club showed the support to back me. Ben was a massive driver in that. It was just the constant communication and never going quiet on me, at times having difficult conversations but also always supporting me during the difficult times.”
That faith Kensell and the Hibs board showed has been rewarded, with the team on a remarkable run that’s taken them into the top six in little over a month. Gray’s side will now look to make it eight wins from 11 in all competitions when they take on Ross County in Dingwall this weekend.
The build-up has been far from ideal due to Storm Eowyn. Hibs brought forward their travel plans and left at 8am yesterday before the winds battered Edinburgh and managed to fit in a light session at
Inverness’ stadium. But Gray revealed his own property was a victim of the storm. He added: “We managed to get away over the central belt two hours before it kicked in.
“We definitely made the right decision. Not long after I arrived in Inverness my wife called to say our fence had blown over. That’s the job for Sunday morning!”
Hibs will be boosted by the return of winger Nicky Cadden from a broken nose. Gray added: “Nicky had to get his nose realigned. He is available but will have to wear a protective mask.”
