Hibernian head coach David Gray believes adjusting to "expectation and demand" will lead to a strong season for the Easter Road club. Hibs start their new Scottish Premiership campaign against Motherwell on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, with Gray urging his players to step up to the guaranteed expectation from the fans. A fifth-place finish last season secured back-to-back European qualification, and the former Hibees captain wants more of the same.

"Ideally, you want to start the season on the front foot and get off to a very good start," he told Sky Sports News. "The pressure as a manager at any club never goes away. The biggest thing we took from that run [last season], I'd say, was sticking together. That's very much what I can feel and see already within the training ground. A real collective bunch that are all pulling in the same direction, which is the first thing you need."

Gray has made five summer signings so far while holding on to his key players from last season. "I'm really happy with where we are from a physical point of view, from the work we've done early in the window," he added. "I think whilst the window's open you do always have to be looking, you have to be proactive all the time."

The demand and expectation is set by the club, fans, and themselves. "We want to be successful again, like Europe, back-to-back. That's what this club needs to be and that's what we'll be striving to do again this season. It might be more difficult because it might require a fourth place finish or you need to try and win a trophy."