REPRISING the unwanted interim role he fulfilled earlier in the season, David Gray will approach Hibernian’s meeting with St Mirren this afternoon more comfortable with his responsibilities. Keen to become a manager in his own right one day, he insists his full focus is on his temporary position for the time being.

Crucially, however, the 33-year-old has refused to rule out turning the next five games into a longer stint in the dugout with the club where he is a legend thanks to his 2016 Scottish Cup-winning goal. The former full-back used his head to historic effect on that occasion against Rangers and is too canny to lose it now and get carried away with his second stint in charge of the team he was a part of as a player only last season.

Yet, the one-time Manchester United trainee is clearly ambitious and, having cherry-picked the best from his time working under Jack Ross and Shaun Maloney, is determined to be a success, no matter how short-term that may prove to be.

“I think I’m in a better place from a coaching capacity,” he said, having also taken the reins in December for three games, including the League Cup final loss to Celtic. “It was very early in my coaching career the last time but four months down the line I have learned a lot from Shaun.

“He gave me a lot of responsibility and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Selfishly, for me, it was great for my development. He is a top coach and has worked with some of the top players in the world so to learn from someone like that was very beneficial. That puts me in a better position now than I was four months ago.”

Hibs appear keen on an experienced replacement for rookie Maloney, but asked why Gray should not be the next manager, he added: “That’s not a question for me, that’s a question for whatever happens moving forward. I’ve obviously been at the club a long time, I love the club and I love everything about it and what it represents. It’s a massive club and a great opportunity for whoever the next manager is. It’s a top club that I really enjoy working for.

“I didn’t think I’d be sitting here right now. How do I feel about it? Ultimately, would I like to be a manager? Yes, one day. But, at the same time, I’ve not been asked to do that job, I’ve been asked to do the job between now and the end of the season, and that is my full focus at the minute. And, moving forward, what will be will be.

“It is all about getting results as quickly as we can, myself and Eddie [May], and to prepare the team as well as we can between now and the end of the season. My future is irrelevant at the moment. My focus is purely on the weekend, which is St Mirren.”

Gray expects a ‘reaction’ from the Hibs players to Maloney’s exit and to successive losses to city foes Hearts. Having lost out on the top-six and a Scottish Cup final spot, and with their Premiership status not yet guaranteed, he is determined to ensure the Easter Road side do not let a rollercoaster campaign finish on another low.

“People losing their jobs is never nice but we’ve not got any time now to think that the season is just going to dwindle away and there’s nothing to play for. Absolutely not,” he added. “The mindset is five games, five wins and that would give you seventh, with more points than what’s above you, which is ultimately to try to get a little bit of pride back in our performances and our results.

“The results just haven’t been good enough and as part of the coaching staff you do feel responsible for that as well. I know the manager always takes the main responsibility and that is what you sign up for when you take the job as manager.

“But it is the result of a collective and everybody has to take responsibility for that and try to put that right as quickly as possible. I am no different. As a member of the coaching team you reflect and try to put things right as quickly as you can.”