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Reedijk on confidence, Hibs captaincy & Celtic challenge

Marink Reedijk has been speaking to the media before Hibernian's home game with Celtic in the Premiership on Sunday (12:00 GMT).

Here are the key points from the Hibs boss:

  • While he saw improvements in last weekend's defeat by Falkirk - "we were quite solid on the ball" - Reedijk says Hibs must be better in possession as a seeks a first win after starting his tenure with back-to-back losses.

  • He adds: "What we need to improve is that we find the moments and have a variation in our play, not only to play short but also a variation to sometimes play in behind to make the opponent doubt and give a challenge to the opponent more than that we just want to play from the back."

  • Asked if his players need to have more self-belief to embrace the style change, the Dutchman says: "Confidence is not something you can switch a button and it's changed. Confidence starts with hard work, graft, smart work. We need to focus on the things we have control over and eventually people will get confidence."

  • On being bottom of the table, Reedijk says it is "a picture of where we are at this moment", but it's at the end of the season when the league table really counts.

  • Hibs, winless in eight home league games, know the scale of task that awaits against Celtic, with Reedijk saying: "Celtic is a good team to play against and gives us challenges but also we can give them challenges and hopefully we can make sure that we keep the three points here in Edinburgh."

  • Explaining his decision to make Felix Passlack captain, with the German taking the armband from Martin Boyle, Reedijk says: "He is someone who leaves everything on the pitch, who is aggressive, who is front-footed, and this is an example I want to have for everyone in the stadium but also in the squad. This is what we are looking for."

  • Reedijk had an "honest chat" with Boyle and insists the 33-year-old has a "different role to play and an important role as well". He adds: "Martin is someone with a good character to do some things in a different manner and to bring this to our team. That is important for me to have that also in the squad. But his role is different than the role he had before."

  • Callum Wright and Jacob Devaney's recovery from injury is "more positive than we expected" but neither are available for Sunday. Nathan Lowe also remains out, with the striker's injury proving "more complicated".

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