Adam Le Fondre gives Nick Montgomery Hibs thumbs up but admits he might not be in good books after signing attempts

Adam Le Fondre has been Down Under to see the full Monty – and admits he’s a big fan even if the man himself would curse him.

The Hibs striker came up against Nick Montgomery in his time at Sydney and has seen why the Central Coast Mariners gaffer is a major contender to succeed axed Lee Johnson. The former Scotland Under-21 cap stripped the Mariners back before turning them into the real deal as A-League champs three months ago. And Le Fondre, who scored in the 2-0 win at Aberdeen at the weekend, said: “Whenever I have played against him – and I know Monty quite well – I have always scored.

“So he might speak highly of me but he probably won’t like me too much! He’s always tried to sign me. He’s a good coach and has done really well in Australia. His teams play attacking football. While he’s been the Mariners coach, they have done really well with young players and four or five have been sold from there off the back of last season. He was probably one of the best young coaches in Australia in my time there.”

Hibees like their team to play an attacking style and Le Fondre reckons Montgomery ticks that box. On the Mariners, he added: “They were very attacking. They had Jason Cummings, who has been here before.

"They played two up top with really good wingers and they were front foot, high pressure. The Australian game is a little bit different to the Scottish. It’s a little bit more transitional than here and they don’t really value a point in Australia, so it is a bit more cavalier when it gets later in the game.

“They just throw everyone forward and try to get the win. If they get the win, great. If they lose, so be it. There is no prize in their minds for a draw, so they are very attacking teams.”

Montgomery has given