Nick Montgomery unfazed by Rangers as Hibs boss declares his side 'can beat anyone' ahead of Ibrox and Celtic dates

Nick Montgomery believes that his Hibs side can go toe-to-toe with Scotland's best sides as he prepares for a Rangers-Celtic double header.

The Easter Road boss jetted into Edinburgh from Down Under last month after Hibs chiefs agreed a deal with Central Coast Mariners for his services, and it's fair to say he's had a decent start to proceedings in Leith. The capital club remain undefeated under his control, and whilst they have only won two games in that time, they’ve stopped the defensive rot that saw Lee Johnson concede eight goals in just three league games .

But with Rangers and Celtic to contend with over the next two weeks, Montgomery remains unfazed - suggesting that his side can beat both Glaswegian sides in the oncoming fortnight. Speaking ahead of the weekend's clash that will mark Philippe Clement's debut as Gers boss, Montgomery said: “The boys know if we play the way we can, if we compete, we can beat anybody.

"That’s proven all over the world, not something that’s new. But the key to that is keeping the preparation process as normal as possible. The facts are there. We know that, in terms of budget, there is such a big gap between themselves and everybody else.

“But that’s not any reason to treat these next two games any differently. We treat Saturday exactly the same as any other opponent. We’ll do the analysis, watch the last couple of games – and go into the match with a game plan, prepared for the contest. But obviously they are two very good teams.

“Obviously, Rangers and Celtic are renowned as the two big clubs in the country – for good reason. But it wasn’t something I really looked at when I took the job. I was so focused on the first game, away to Kilmarnock, that it took up all my attention. When