Hibs pursue signficant rewards in Warsaw but 'special club' reputation has already been secured

The other guarantee? Well, without tempting fate, we can expect the reputation of Hibernian FC to be enhanced by their contribution to the occasion.

In a summer that has seen videos of Hibs fans – at home and abroad – spread across planet football via social media, earning global recognition for their passion and pride in the club, David Gray recognises that the brand certainly hasn’t been damaged by the joint efforts of supporters, players and coaches. As he prepares for the biggest game of his short managerial career, a ranking he has no problem in bestowing on this contest, the lifelong Hibee is quick to stress the elements that often get overlooked when we talk about our traditionally important Scottish clubs.

“I think it is a very special club and a special place, obviously,” said Gray, the former club captain adding: “I think when you're living and breathing it every day, you probably take it for granted.

“I actually thought about that when I was trying to bring players to the football club, trying to get them to look at the size of the club. Even Edinburgh as a city, I take it for granted because I grew up in Edinburgh, how actually nice the place is and the things round about it and why people want to come and live in Edinburgh.

“I think when you're living it and breathing it every day you can maybe underestimate exactly the size of this club. When you see those scenes of our fans, you see how big it is.

“Especially away fans. I’ve spoken a lot about playing in the Brondby game (back in 2019). I’ve spoken to a lot of people who probably can't even remember the game - but they had a brilliant week, the whole time they were away.

“Then if you go to Villa Park a couple of seasons, 5-0 down, the fans that we took to Villa Park and the noise they made for 90 minutes during the game. And then Sunshine on Leith after the game – that was something that will live with me forever.

“Being so heavily outnumbered and then even the Villa fans clapping the Hibs fans out of the stadium whether that was 8-0 at the time. It shows you the size of the club, what it means to everybody.

“As I said, this is a brilliant journey to be in Europe. It's what everybody deserves because of what we did last season – and it’s what everybody's aiming towards. The fans fully deserve it as well.

“For the football club, the rewards at the other side is what we're all doing it for. As players, it's to try and play at the highest level.

“As a coach, I'm exactly the same, no different. I want to test myself at the highest level and try and be as successful as I can for this football club and ultimately, that's what everybody's doing it for.”

Serious financial benefits

There’s more than personal and professional pride at stake, though. Serious financial benefits are the windfall for any team who makes it through the league phase of the regularly reformatted UEFA competitions, with an estimated income of £5 million considered a conservative guess based on very little on-field success in the competition.

Trailing 2-1 from last week’s home leg at Easter Road, Hibs are considered outsiders against a Legia Warsaw team who looked impressive going forward in Edinburgh. But Josh Mulligan’s late goal did inspire hope in the idea of a great comeback for a club desperate to qualify for European group stage/league phase football for the first time in history.

Reflecting on the vision of late chairman Ron Gordon and the current ambitions to establish themselves as the undisputed third force in Scottish football, Gray said: “I think it's where the club wants to be working, it’s what everything has been geared towards, with the support from the Gordon family, the vision of what they want to do. Moving forward, it’s for nights like the last couple of big European games at Easter Road.

“One of the ambitions, I remember Ron always saying, was he wants to see his team performing in Europe in front of a sell-out crowd at Easter Road, knowing the atmosphere and the match day experience and everything that comes with that. And why would you not?

“If you're investing in something like this and you understand the passion the family's got towards the football club, you want to see your club and your team playing at the highest possible level. And this is the highest level we can possibly play at, in this moment in time.

“We're one game away from potentially extending that. We’re one goal down with 90 minutes of football to be played, but still very much alive in the tie and in a very good position.”

Biggest game as manager

Asking if he considered this to be the biggest game he’d been involved in since taking over as manager last summer, Gray didn’t hesitate before declaring: “Certainly. I think probably because of the nature of being a manager, I think your next game is always the most important one, because it can quickly change in every direction.

“I understand why you'd ask the question though, in terms of the magnitude of the game and what's at stake, because of the rewards at the other side of it.

“I've thoroughly enjoyed challenging myself in Europe, seeing different ways of playing, learning different players that maybe I haven't seen play before, watching them in styles and how they play in different ways. I'm really looking forward to the game, and I think because of the rewards at the other side, it makes it the biggest game.

“I know the players are certainly looking forward to it as well. So hopefully it should be a brilliant game, I'm looking forward to it.”