Lee Johnson on being Hibs fans' second choice, Kenny Dalglish backing, and his message for Robbie Neilson

The new Hibs manager Lee Johnson knows the calibre of competition he was up against for the job and, compared to Champions League winners, he recognises that he wasn’t “a massive name” as a player.

But he has earned the backing of one of the biggest household names in Scottish football - Kenny Dalglish.

“I think I can bring top connections from down south and across the UK. The personal relationships I have with key clubs down south, big clubs, can, I think, add value.”

A manager at just 31, he made the decision to eventually follow in the footsteps of his dad Gary Johnson [the current Torquay United boss] several years earlier. It wasn’t just his coaching badges he focused on as he prepared for the future, completing the A and Pro licences with the SFA, the 40-year-old, who is half Scottish thanks to his mum, also put in the legwork necessary to recruit a pretty impressive clutch of contacts.

“My dad’s been a manager since I was born really and, naturally, you gravitate to what your dad does. But, the contacts that I've made, they're not my dad's contacts. I've got some really big hitters in football who have been fantastic with me. Kenny Dalglish, Brian Marwood, Dan Ashworth are references on my CV because they're great people, but they're also top at what they do and the experience that they've got. I’ve spent years getting to know these guys, earning their trust and getting their guidance, and when it comes to decision making, I can phone these guys quickly. Kenny for example, is unbelievable. You could be fretting over a decision over five or six weeks but even before the end of the sentence, Kenny's got it sorted. To have the opportunity to bounce scenarios off those guys, is powerful.

“I always wanted to learn