HIBERNIAN chief executive Ben Kensall hailed the appointment of Shaun Maloney as first team manager as 'very important' as he landed his 'standout candidate' to succeed Jack Ross at Easter Road.

Former Celtic midfielder Maloney - who was serving as Roberto Martinez's assistant with the Belgian national team - was announced on Monday morning as the new boss of the Leith club.

Gary Caldwell, the former Partick Thistle manager and a team-mate of Maloney's at Parkhead, has been announced as Maloney's No.2 while Valerio Zuddas, Brian Doogan, David Gray and Craig Samson will make up the backroom team.

"We are very happy to welcome Shaun as our new manager, in what is undoubtedly a very important appointment for Hibernian FC," Kensall told the club's website.

"Our recruitment for a new manager has been thorough, strategic, and centered around the clear vision we have for this football club.

"We wanted to acquire a manager who has an attacking mentality, who’s progressive, and someone who is hungry for the opportunity to build something here at this big club.

"Shaun has been the standout candidate throughout this process as his idea of football is completely aligned with ours and the history of this football club. He believes in attacking, possession-based football, and has implemented it at the highest level with Roberto Martínez at Belgium.

"He is also a coach that wants to develop the players we have at this football club, as we have assembled a good squad. He’s aligned with our focus on bringing through young talent through our development team and wants to work with young players.

"Shaun’s a young coach and this is a big opportunity for him to show what we can do. We will support him in the upcoming transfer windows to help him achieve our ambitions here.

"We have real belief in Shaun, and he has huge belief in himself. He is determined to bring success here at Hibernian FC."