As many supporters will have seen in our pre-season friendly against FC Groningen, the centre-half has regained the armband and will continue to lead the team both on and off the pitch.
Hanlon – a great custodian of the Club – came through the Hibs Academy and has gone onto make 535 appearances in all competition, a feat that sees him sit fifth on the Club’s all-time appearance chart.
After returning from injury last season, the 33-year-old was virtually ever-present for Lee Johnson and built-up solid partnerships with both Rocky Bushiri and Will Fish in the heart of defence.
Supporters will have seen Hanlon’s leadership and communications skills during the pre-season training camp in Marbella when he was mic’d up for our game against Europa FC.
Hanlon receives the armband from David Marshall, who will remain an integral part of the Club’s leadership structure.
Hibernian FC Manager Lee Johnson commented: “We made the decision to name Paul as our Captain for the upcoming season due to his long-standing history with the Club and his positional impact on the pitch.
“It’s clear for everyone to see that Paul is extremely trusted, that he has strong leadership and communication skills, and by playing in the centre of defence it allows him to get messages around the whole team quickly and effectively.
“I would like to thank Marsh for the role he played as captain last year and he still remains a key part of the leadership group. He has extensive experience, is heavily respected in the dressing room, and those qualities will continue to help set the standard within the team.
“We have a number of players that show leadership skills and those guys, alongside Paul and Marsh, will play a vital role in helping to drive this group on.”
