Strangely enough, one of his first league matches as head coach following his full-time appointment is against Celtic, this time with Brendan Rodgers in charge. Though it may not be the best match to come after a humiliating three-goal loss on opening day, Gray is still enjoying the challenge, just as he relished the championship game almost three years prior.
It was an enormous whirlwind. I was informed, ‘You’re taking the team in a cup final,’ after having played two games and still adjusting to the shock and hardship of the new management,” Gray remembers.
Since then, I’ve given it a lot of consideration. What would have happened if we had won the cup? I was by no means ready [for management] when I compare where I was then to where I am now.It took more than just one game to inspire and drive me to strive for where I am now. I had been considering it, which is why I decided to resign at that point in order to explore this aspect of the game. The opportunities that followed, many of which were brought about by hardship, most likely helped me to further develop my vision of what I wanted to do in life.”
Gray, who has managed matches against Postecoglou’s Celtic and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa as an interim manager and head coach in his own right, will face Rodgers this weekend for the first time. It may seem intimidating to some, but the 36-year-old is keen to learn as much as she can from these encounters, and Sunday won’t be any different.
“Last year, I played in Europe against Aston Villa while Unai Emery was 10 feet away. That’s something that some managers never encounter, but early in my managerial career, I did. I’m hoping to the best of my abilities to use that to shape who I believe I should be,” he says.
“I never stop learning. It’s great to have the chance to put yourself to the test against renowned coaches, but what if you could actually defeat them? I’m excited about that task.Playing Celtic away from home presents a completely different task. The club that was the best last season is the one you have to be ready for, and I fully expect them to be a major factor again this year. The players ought to be excited by this challenge. As a coach, it really thrills me as I work to establish myself.”
Returning to Hampden, December 19, 2021. Recall that Hibs scored first; Joe Hart did his best, but Paul Hanlon managed to just get enough on a corner to push the ball over the line. Kyogo Furuhashi scored the equalizer for Celtic almost soon after, while flare smoke from the Hibs end continued to waft over the field. Furuhashi then scored the game-winning goal. However, what if Hibs hadn’t immediately conceded?
We had spent a lot of time on set pieces and scoring off of them. I thought, “Oh, it works!” At the moment, our game plan was working. It was nice that we were able to get ourselves in front of people, but looking back, there’s always that “what if?” moment,” Gray acknowledges.
And if events had turned out differently?
He laughs and says, “I might just have retired there and then.”
“I firmly think that everything occurs for a purpose. That was said to me when I was young, following my first significant football failure, by my dad Peter. I was 15, 16, 17, and I felt like my career was really taking off at those times. I made my debut at Manchester United after moving down south, and I later completed my lengthy loan there. That was my career’s first appropriate instance of difficulty,” he says.
“Everything I did, every hardship I faced, and every obstacle I faced in my professional life culminated in that one, extremely lucky moment on May 21, 2016.” I felt fortunate to be captain that day and to be in that situation with the players surrounding me. I genuinely think that everything that’s taking place right now—from the coaching perspective to the opportunity I’ve had to reach this position—is occurring for a reason. I’m eager about what lies ahead.
