Darren McGregor ready for Hibs retirement talks as Leith hero admits he'd struggle to play for anyone else

Hibs hero Darren McGregor is ready to call time on his career early in a bid to prolong his association with his boyhood club.

The emotional defender admits Sunday might have been his last game in senior football despite having a year left to run on his contract at Easter Road.

McGregor made his first start since December for his 432nd career appearance in the 4-0 victory over St Johnstone.

But the former Rangers and St Mirren stopper is ready to sit down with club chiefs as he contemplates hanging up the boots and turning his hand to helping develop the next generation of Hibees.

The 36-year-old, a rock as Hibs lifted the 2016 Scottish Cup and followed it up by winning the Championship title a year later, insists he can’t imagine playing for any other club.

He said: “I have a year left but I’m not naive - I’m 37 in August. It is getting harder.

“I don’t want to block the pathway for younger guys coming up.

“I will need to have a conversation with the powers that be whether I can transition into something else.

“If I wasn’t playing for Hibs I would struggle to see myself playing for anyone else.

“If there was an opportunity to transition here into coaching I would love to look into that.

“I have been here a long time and loved every minute of it and I would do anything for this club.

“Whatever capacity they see me in then I would be keen to take it.

“If someone said to me when I had a proper job at 24 that I would still be playing now after winning the Scottish Cup with Hibs at 30 I would not have believed them.

“I have a different career path to a lot of boys. At 18 I was still playing for Leith Athletic then went to Cowdenbeath, Arniston Rangers, Cowdenbeath again, then St Mirren, Rangers and now Hibs.

“I have