The Sunderland loanee scooped the award after a superb season at Scottish club Hibernian...

Sunderland loanee Nectar Triantis has been named Hibernian’s Young Player of the Season - highlighting his strong form in Scotland as questions grow around where he’ll be playing next season.

The 22-year-old has impressed during his time at Easter Road, transitioning from centre-back to a deep-lying midfield role and delivering a string of consistent performances. Since January, Triantis has played a key part in Hibs’ push for a top-six finish, chipping in with nine goal contributions this season. Triantis has also been nominated for the SFWA Player of the Year.

Re-joining Hibs on loan from Sunderland since last summer, the Australian youth international has established himself as a reliable figure in David Gray’s side. With the Black Cats’ Championship season in its final stretch, his future remains unclear, especially with Sunderland still fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

Triantis is under contract at the Stadium of Light, but his long-term place in the team may depend on which division Sunderland are playing in next season. If the Black Cats go up, competition for places in the squad will likely intensify. But should they stay in the Championship, the door could open for Triantis to stake a claim for more regular minutes.

Speaking earlier this year, Triantis made clear his ambition to succeed at Sunderland, saying: “This is my club. The aim is to be a consistent feature in red and white one day.” At the same time, he acknowledged that nothing is guaranteed: “Honestly, I have no idea what’s going to happen. There’s every chance I could be at any club.”

What has Hibernian boss David Gray said about re-signing Sunderland loanee Nectar Triantis next season?

His current boss has been full of praise for the midfielder's development and maturity, particularly after his successful shift into midfield. Gray also noted that Triantis’ next step will likely be determined by Sunderland’s trajectory and planning over the summer.

Speaking recently, Gray said: “He’s contracted to Sunderland, isn't he, so we'll wait and see exactly what happens there. But I think he's done really well. He's certainly benefited from coming here in terms of what he's done for his career. And there'll be a conversation to be had, but it'll ultimately be up to his parent club, and also whatever he wants to do. But it’s certainly not a bad place for him to come and play. And the potential of European football next year is something else that he can add to his CV if he comes and wants to do that.”

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Reflecting on Triantis’ campaign more broadly, Gray added: “I think he’s had a fantastic season. He's been improving all the time. It's probably the first season he's had for a while where he's played a lot of games as well, and consistently playing games of football is good for him.

“I say it all the time, you forget he's only 21 years old. So, there's a lot of improvement still to come and still to be done. And I think he'll definitely benefit from that. Because I do believe there is loads more to come, and he's the type of boy that wants to get better as well.

“Nectar's been very consistent all season. Definitely, something that I wanted when I brought him to the club, was he's got that defensive mindset, having been a centre-back previously, so his first thought isn't always to go and try and score a goal, or to try and get up to the ball. Sometimes, it's the defensive side of the game that I thought we really needed to strengthen, and credit to Nectar, because I think he's done really well on that front.”

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