'All the tools' - Teammate delivers verdict on Sunderland loanee after recent purple patch

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Nectar Triantis continues to shine on loan at Hibernian

Hibernian defender Jack Iredale has hailed Sunderland loanee Nectar Triantis for his impact at Easter Road, claiming that he has “all the tools” to succeed as a midfielder.

The 21-year-old is currently enjoying his second stint in Edinburgh having spent a spell north of the border last season, and has caught the eye with a series of impressive performances since moving out of his usual central defensive role. Indeed, so far this term, the Australian has featured in 21 Scottish Premiership matches, and has contributed three goals and three assists in his last eight outings, including a strike in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at the weekend.

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For his part, Iredale is a Scottish-born former Australian youth international in his own right, and after having signed for Hibs from Bolton Wanderers over the summer, he has opened up on what it has been like to play alongside Triantis as he continues his superb run of form.

Speaking to the Hibs Observer, he said: “I know Nectar because he's a big dumb Australian boy, so I know him well... He's a great guy. I get on with Nectar really, really well. I'm really happy that he's playing so well. I think that's a testament to how intelligent he is.

“Football-wise, the boys give us a bit of a stick sometimes as Aussies. Football-wise, he's smart but he's only 21. He's still learning a lot. I think it's difficult for some people to remember the fact that he is only 21 and he's only been playing in that position for how long? A year now?

“I remember watching him when he was 17 or 18 at Central Coast as a centre-back as well. If you told me back then that he was going to be bossing it in the Scottish Premiership in the middle of the park, maybe I wouldn't have believed it. But that just goes to show the quality that Nectar has, so I'm really happy for him.

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“Usually you start higher up and work your way back. I think I was a left winger at that age and ended up right at the back. If you stuck me in the middle of that park, I don't think I'd do nearly as well as what he does. The physicality that he's got and you see the quality that he has on the ball. He's got all the tools, but like I said, I don't want to put too much pressure on him because he is only 21. He is learning a lot, but he's learning quickly, so things are going well for him.”

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Addressing the prospect of signing Triantis on a permanent basis in a recent interview with the Edinburgh Evening News, Hibs boss David Gray said: “Obviously he's doing really well at the moment. With Nectar, he's obviously contracted to a Championship club. They're doing really well as well, Sunderland, so a lot will probably depend on what happens with them. They have aspirations to try and get promoted to the Premier League.

“He's still there next season, so what does that look like for Nectar? There are loads of ifs and buts on how that can change moving forward. One thing I would say from our point of view is I think he's doing really well, which is great, the fact we're talking about him, the fact that he's getting better all the time in that position and he's enjoying football. So that's the biggest thing I take out of it. He's learning, he's getting better all the time, he's desperate to keep improving and he's enjoying himself and training every day. So he's in a good place and hopefully that can continue.”

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