Latest news with #CivilServiceStrollers
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Two Hibs youngsters join East Kilbride on cooperation loans
Hibs Academy goalkeeper Freddie Owens and forward Dean Cleland have joined East Kilbride on cooperation loans for the 2025/26 season! 19-year-old keeper Owens joins up with the newly-promoted William Hill League Two side after impressing at Civil Service Strollers in the Lowland League last season. Cleland, aged 17, also joins the K-Park club on loan after scoring 38 times for Hibs Under-18s last season in competitive matches as Darren McGregor's side secured the CAS Elite Youth League title. Owens and Cleland will be able to continue playing for Hibs while performing for East Kilbride due to the new Cooperation System. This new Cooperation System allows eligible players to continue playing for their parent club at first team and youth level while gaining invaluable senior football experience with their partner club, therefore increasing their playing time. On the loan moves of Owens and Cleland, Hibs Academy Director Gareth Evans commented: 'Freddie did very well at Civil Service Strollers last season in what was a good campaign for them, and Dean really impressed in our Under-18s team. 'Challenging themselves in League Two, and playing for a good club like East Kilbride, is great for Freddie and Dean in terms of their development and hopefully both will now get minutes at a higher level.' Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Teenage keeper Freddie Owens extends Hibs contract
Teenage goalkeeper Freddie Owens has signed a new one-year contract extension with Hibs. The 19-year-old spent the 2024/25 season on loan with Civil Service Strollers following two previous emergency loan spells with the Lowland League outfit. His strong performances made a huge contribution to the Strollers' top-half finish, with the promising shot-stopper playing 31 of the Edinburgh club's 34 league matches. The youngster had previously been a part of Hibernian's UEFA Youth League squad during the 2022/23 season and impressed across various age groups to earn his first professional contract last summer. On Owens' new deal, Hibernian FC's Academy Director Gareth Evans said: 'We're really pleased to agree a contract extension with Freddie. 'We monitored his loan with Civil Service Strollers closely, and you could see him developing week on week. He performed well and made an important contribution to their season. 'We look forward to continuing our work with him and seeing him progress with us.' Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hibs goalie signs new contract as Easter Road club add depth to squad
Smith and Sallinger joined by highly-rated youngster after Bursik and Boruc depart Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs goalkeeping prospect Freddie Owens has signed a new one-year deal with the Easter Road club, as David Gray looks to provide solid cover for his two senior keepers. The 19-year-old is expected to back up established No. 1 Jordan Smith and new summer signing Raphael Sallinger. Owens, who only signed his first pro contract in the summer of 2023, has some senior football experience after loan spells with Civil Service Strollers in the Lowland League. He spent last season with Strollers, making a significant contribution to their top-half finish as he played in 31 of their 34 league games. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He's also played for Hibs Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, as part of the team who embarked on such an uplifting run in season 2022-23. Lowland League experience helped Owens develop Hibs academy director Gareth Evans welcomed the youngster's decision to commit to the club for another season, saying: 'We're really pleased to agree a contract extension with Freddie. We monitored his loan with Civil Service Strollers closely, and you could see him developing week on week. 'He performed well and made an important contribution to their season. We look forward to continuing our work with him and seeing him progress with us.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Smith established himself as first-choice keeper after replacing loan signing Josef Bursik in November, the veteran back-up bringing stability to the last line of defence. The 30-year-old's status as No. 1 was cemented when he signed a new contract extension in March, the former Nottingham Forest keeper committing to the end of season 2027-28. Former England Under-21 goalie Bursik has returned to Club Brugge in Belgium after his loan spell came to an end. And third-choice keeper Max Boruc was one of several out-of-contract players released at the end of the season. Sallinger became Hibernian's second summer signing, following the pre-contract arrival of former Aberdeen attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath, with the Austrian penning a three-year contract. The 29-year-old, once on the books of German club Kaiserslautern but most recently with TSV Hartberg in his homeland, is eager to provide competition for Smith. He'll now be joined in the goalie group by Owen, who the second young talent to commit himself to Hibs this week, with Logan Jiminez also signing his first pro contract with the club. The 17-year-old forward, impressive as Darren McGregor's Under-18s won the CAS Elite League, has committed himself to the club until the summer of 2026. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Evans said: "Logan has developed really well since joining the club and thoroughly deserves his first professional contract. He's shown great commitment, versatility, and worked incredibly hard to fight his way into our U18s side. 'This is a big milestone for him, but he knows the hard work really starts now. We're excited to see how he continues to grow within our pathway.' Hibs remain in negotiations with out-of-contract first-teamers Rocky Bushiri and Junior Hoilett, while talks with Sunderland over a move for Nectar Triantis – a stand-out in his second Easter Road loan spell last season – remain very much alive. The bulk of the Hibs squad, barring internationals given extra time off, report for pre-season training at the end of next week.
