Lee Johnson didn't apply for Hibs job as new boss reveals 'perception' that made him think twice

Honest Lee Johnson admits didn't apply to be the next manager of Hibs.

But while the ugly endings to Jack Ross and Shaun Maloney's respective tenures made him think twice, the new boss insists his "reservations" are now a thing of the past.

The former Sunderland and Bristol City boss has been chosen to lead the Leith revival after Maloney was appointed in December and sacked in April.

Johnson is hoping for a drastic improvement on last season's eighth-placed finish with European qualification the goal in his first season at Easter Road.

But the 41-year-old says he's not here to put out fires - he's in it for the long-term and insists he'll need "three or four" transfer windows before Hibs will really be rocking.

His long-term vision is the reason he was initially reluctant, with Ross and Maloney's abrupt sackings seen as red flags.

But once he realised his "external perception" of how the club operates was wide of the mark, Johnson insists he was ready to dive in at the deep end.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, he said: "Originally I didn't apply for the Hibs job.

"I had an external perception of what I thought was the case. Jack Ross was the manager, very successful, a good, genuine man, and then the new manager comes in, a bit of a rookie in management but a well renowned coach.

"Both of us need stability. I was lucky, I was the longest serving manager at Bristol City, five years in the Championship, and when that happens you can really start to build.

"We had nearly £100million of player sales as Bristol City and that comes from a consistency in development, playing style, the structure and the emotional development of the players. You can make good decisions.

"I think when you inherit a squad where two or three