David Gray, manager of Hibernian Football Club, has emphasized the need for a comprehensive effort from his team as they prepare to face Shkendija in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round. The match is scheduled for Tuesday evening, marking a significant step up in competition following Hibs' previous victory over Kosovan side Malisheva.

Gray highlighted the challenge posed by Shkendija, a North Macedonian club with recent European experience, having advanced from the group stage last season. He cautioned that overcoming the visitors would require strong performances across both legs of the tie.

“It’s going to take a complete performance over two legs,” Gray said. “It will be a difficult test. I showed the players exactly what we’re going to be going into and how we’re going to approach the game. It’s a difficult one, it’s a team that’s used to playing in Europe and were successful last season.”

The Hibs manager acknowledged the significance of competing against a club accustomed to European competition, viewing it as an important opportunity for his players. He referenced previous qualifying rounds in European tournaments where his team faced formidable opponents such as Partizan Belgrade, Midtjylland, and Legia Warsaw, noting those matches as some of the best performances he has seen from the squad.

“Some of the opposition we played against in Europe last season took massive performances,” Gray added. “When you think about the ties we had [against Partizan, Midtjylland and Legia Warsaw], those were some of the best performances I’ve seen from us and they’re great nights to be involved in.”

Hibs are aiming to make history by becoming the first club from their side to reach the group stage of a European competition. Gray expressed optimism about the club’s progress but stressed that achieving this milestone would demand consistently strong showings.

“Can you be the first [Hibs] team to get into that European group stage? We’re on course to do that but it’s going to take two big performances.” The manager’s message underscores the importance of resilience and quality in the upcoming fixtures as Hibernian pursues further success on the European stage.