DAVID Gray claims Hibernian go into every game confident of winning – and that will not change against Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles.
Hibs came as close as anyone to ending Celtic’s unbeaten domestic run under Rodgers, which now stands at 59 games, when they led 2-1 at Parkhead last month before Callum McGregor levelled for the champions.
But the performance has furnished the 2016 Scottish Cup winners with added belief that they can upset Celtic in Saturday’s Betfred Cup semi-final.
Gray, who was back at Hampden for the captain’s media call, said: “When you go a goal down, the response from the boys was fantastic. I was sitting injured in the stand that day. I could feel the second half as it was going on that we were dominating the game.
“When we go 2-1 up, if we had managed to hold on for another five or 10 minutes afterwards, I think they might have struggled to score because I thought we were real good value for our point that day. We went away disappointed we hadn’t won and that was a good thing.
“We’re always confident with what we have got in the dressing room. We have been saying it for the last couple of years that we have got a squad that is good enough to compete at the top end of the Premiership.
“It was all right us saying it but we were in the Championship. But we had good cup runs and did well against Premiership opposition.
“We know on our day we are a match for anyone, and this weekend is no different. There is a real feelgood factor at the club just now.”
Gray has done as much as anyone to provide that given he headed the late goal that brought the Scottish Cup back to Leith after a 114-year absence.
But the right-back feels head coach Neil Lennon’s mentality has dragged them further forward since that day.
“He’s been fantastic,” Gray said. “He’s a winner, he wants to win every single day in training. He puts a massive emphasis on that, whether it be a five-a-side game or a crossing-and-finishing drill, he is adamant about your standards and trying to win every single thing you do.
“I think that’s why he was so successful as a player and a manager, and he is definitely trying to instil that in his play
“It would be nice to be the team who goes and does that [ends the run] but at the same time he [Lennon] just wants to win,” said Gray, who is currently locked in a battle with Steven Whittaker for the right back spot. “That is regardless of whether it is Rangers, Celtic or whoever we were playing in this semi-final. That is just his mentality.”
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