Hibs players hold talks with club chiefs over wages - but won't be asked to take pay cut

Hibs chiefs have started the ball rolling on wage talks with the Easter Road squad – but are not thought to be asking the players to take a pay cut.

The Sun reports that the club’s hierarchy have begun negotiations just days after owner Ron Gordon warned “difficult decisions” would have to be made amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nothing has been agreed as yet but it is believed the club is hopeful that players will agree to having a percentage of their monthly wages deferred, with the leftover sums being paid once the football season is back up and running.

Several clubs including Hibs’ Capital rivals Hearts have asked members of the playing squad and coaching staff to take wage cuts while other teams have been forced to lay off some workers as a result of the ongoing hiatus.

Meanwhile, defender Ryan Porteous has admitted his frustration at the untimely hiatus, revealing his recovery from a knee injury sustained in the Scottish Cup tie against Dundee United in January had cleared up to the extent that he was on the brink of a return to action when the campaign was brought to an abrupt end in mid-March.

He said: “As soon as I got the injury and I was told that it might end my season, I was determined to work hard and when I found out that I could be back before the split and, potentially, have a game at Hampden against Hearts [in the Scottish Cup semis], that is all I was striving for. So, for that all to be taken away is a bit frustrating.

“But if we are going to play the season out, I would welcome it because I worked hard to make sure it wasn’t a season-ending injury and we still have a lot to play for.

“If we finish in the top six, there are games against Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen to look forward to, European football is not too far away if we can get a good few results, and the Scottish Cup is within our grasp, so there is no reason why we can’t still make this a really good season. We just have to see what happens.”