DARREN McGREGOR has vowed to use his win bonus from lifting the William Hill Scottish Cup with Hibernian to treat his long-suffering girlfriend Erin to an all-expenses paid trip to Gullane Beach.

The 30-year-old defender, a lifelong Hibee, remains very much on cloud nine after the capital club finally ended their 114-year wait for the famous old trophy.

The unforgettable triumph, and subsequent open-topped bus parade in front of more than 100,000 delirious fans in Edinburgh, was in sharp contrast to the bitter disappointments which preceded their win over Rangers.

Having endured last-minute heartbreak both in the League Cup final and their bid for promotion, McGregor admits it was impossible not to take that sorrow home and accepts the debt he owes to his partner.

“Winning the Scottish Cup has given me a bit of extra money to play with, so Erin might get taken to Gullane Beach instead of Portobello,” he joked.

“No, we’ll potter about and relax for a bit then I’ll take Erin away because she deserves a holiday for all those ups and downs and bad moods I have taken home in the past months.

“The other guys will testify that you go home after defeats and it’s hard not to take it with you. When it means so much to you, I’m miserable when we lose. That’s football: the highs are short-lived but the the lows can drag on for days and days.

“But this whole thing, from start to finish, has been an absolute dream.”

McGregor found it a truly breathtaking scene on Sunday, though, as he surveyed his home city from the top deck of Hibs’ celebratory bus, snaking its way from the City Chambers, through the Old Town down to Leith Links.

These are streets he knows like the back of his hand, but he had never seen them like that.

Even his mother’s house had an unfamiliar look, with pictures doing the rounds on social media on Sunday of the building decked out in green-and-white, with flags and banners outside donning the facade. He is far from the only Hibee in the family.

McGregor reckons the tour was comparable with anything served up by the most powerful and well-supported clubs in world football.

“It doesn’t matter what team you are at, whether it is Manchester United or Barcelona, that parade from City Chambers to Leith Links will match anything,” he said.

“Every inch of Leith Walk was consumed with people enjoying themselves and that brings it all home. When you are playing you can become wrapped up in the game and sometimes forget the magnitude it can have on people lives.

“There are a lot of older fans who have been coming 50-60 years and have never seen that. To have contributed to those people’s dreams is fantastic.”

He added: “It was lot better than being chased down Leith Walk by the Police when I was younger.”

McGregor will enjoy his summer after a victory more than a century in the making, but he is adamant Hibs will return next season determined to finally regain their place at Scottish football’s top table.

“We have a great bunch of lads in there and, no matter what happens, we are resilient enough to deal with it,” he said. “With the gaffer here, I think we’ll build for next season and be stronger.

“Europe is a massive bonus, but getting back to the Premiership and playing Rangers, Celtic and getting four derbies, needs to be the main aim.”

Meanwhile, David Moyes has urged Alan Stubbs to stay on at Hibernian to add promotion next season to his historic triumph in the William Hill Scottish Cup.

The duo worked together when Moyes was manager at Everton and Stubbs was first a player and then on the coaching staff and they remain in touch.

Stubbs has been linked with a number of jobs south of the border in recent weeks, with Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers both said to be interested in obtaining his services and yet to fill their vacant positions.

However, Moyes, who served a four-year managerial 'apprenticeship' with Preston North End before moving on to Everton, where he spent the next 11 years, believes Stubbs would be best served remaining at Easter Road and continuing to build his reputation.

"I'm a great believer that you shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to climb the ladder. Take your time,” he said. "I hope Alan will stay and take Hibs up next season.

"They’ve been to two cup finals this season, which is an incredible achievement in itself for Hibs, and they were unlucky to miss out in the play-offs.

"I think he’s in a good place at the moment.

"It's not for me to tell him what to do, but I think Alan and Hibs are both on to a good thing just now and they should look to stay together and get the club back up.

"Hibs are a big miss to the Premiership.”