Loan Round Up 2023/24

Read our loan report from all of the Hibees out on loan during the 2023/24 campaign!

Josh O’Connor, Murray Aiken & Kanayo Megwa (Airdrieonians)

It was a successful season for Hibernian FC trio Josh O’Connor, Murray Aiken and Kanayo Megwa with Scottish Championship side, Airdrieonians.

Murray Aiken got off to a flying start winning the Club’s Player of the Month Award in September 2023, before an injury meant he missed the majority of the campaign from November onwards.

Josh O’Connor kept himself fit all season, making 33 appearances (10 starts) during his time at Airdrie – scoring five goals and adding three assists.

O’Connor played a significant part in Airdrieonians' road to SPFL Trust Trophy glory, winning the decisive penalty in the final with the Scottish Club claiming the trophy for the first time in 15 years with a 2-1 victory over The New Saints.

Finally, Kanayo Megwa continued his impressive development during the 2023/24 campaign.

Megwa made his First Team debut for Hibs in August 2023, before joining Airdrieonians on loan in September. The right-back immediately impressed for Rhys McCabe’s side and was subsequently recalled by Hibs in January for a short period where he added a further three Hibs senior appearances.

Kanayo returned to Airdrieonians in February and helped the Club reach the cinch Championship Play-Offs, narrowly losing to Partick Thistle in the quarter-finals.

In total, the full-back made 30 appearances for Airdrieonians – including 28 starts.

Harry McKirdy (Swindon Town)

Harry McKirdy missed the first half of the season before joining Swindon Town on loan.

The forward played nine times for his former Club, scoring a last-minute equaliser against Gillingham in February.

The Robins finished 19th in League Two – nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Nohan Kenneh (Shrewsbury Town)

During the 2023/24 campaign, Kenneh has played 33 times for Shrewsbury Town – adding three goal contributions from defensive midfield.

‘The Salop’ secured their safety in League One, finishing in 19th position with 48 points.

Kenneh also featured on the international stage during the 2023/24 campaign, earning nine caps for Liberia!

Ewan Henderson (KV Oostende)

Ewan Henderson played the 2023/24 campaign at Belgian second-tier side, KV Oostende.

‘Hendo’ featured 30 times in total, scoring seven times for the Belgian side who finished 13th in the league table.

The creative midfielder made a significant impact in the Belgian Cup. Oostende punched above their weight, reaching the semi-finals of the competition with Henderson scoring in the sixth round, quarter-final and semi-final!

Max Boruc (Arbroath)

Max Boruc made three First Team appearances for Hibs at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

The shot-stopper then joined Arbroath on loan in January to gain regular experience playing senior football.

The shot-stopper played 13 times, in what was a disappointing season for Arbroath who finished bottom of the cinch Championship.

Riley Harbottle (Colchester United)

Riley Harbottle also made his Hibs debut at the start of the season, before joining Colchester United on loan in January.

Riley played 12 times in total for Colchester United, including on the final day as ‘The U’s’ secured their safety in the division with a draw against Crewe Alexandra.

Dan MacKay (Livingston)

Dan MacKay spent the 2023/24 campaign at fellow cinch Premiership side, Livingston FC.

MacKay played 29 times for Livi, registering three goals and two assists. Two of Dan’s goals came in the Scottish Cup, scoring against Raith Rovers in the Fourth Round and Celtic in the quarter-finals.

Allan Delferrière (MFK Vyškov)

Allan Delferrière joined Czech side MFL Vyškov in January and has since gone on to feature 14 times.

The defensive midfielder helped Vyškov reach the play-offs after finishing fourth in the FNL, but narrowly missed out on promotion.

Scottish League One

There were six players out on loan in cinch League One during the 2023/24 campaign.

Dylan Tait spent the whole 2023/24 campaign on loan in League One. Tait initially started off at Hamilton, where he made 25 appearances up until January 2024.

The midfielder then made the switch from Hamilton Academical to join Falkirk on loan. The move paid off, as he helped The Bairns achieve promotion to the Scottish Championship!  

Tait has featured 15 times for Falkirk since the turn of the year, scoring twice and adding two assists. John McGlynn’s side won the League One title at a canter in the end – and will return to the Championship for the first time in five years.

Elsewhere in League One, Kyle McClelland played the full season at Queen of the South. The centre-back played 37 times in total for The Doonhamers, who finished seventh with 41 points.

Oscar MacIntyre also spent the full season in the third tier of Scottish football, starting alongside McClelland at Queen of the South before switching to Annan Athletic in January. The full-back made 26 appearances in total (both clubs combined) and helped Annan secure their safety in the division on the final day of the season.

Unfortunately, Rudi Molotnikov’s Stirling Albion did not have as much luck and were relegated from League One via the playoffs. Rudi made his senior debut for Hibs at Villa Park in August 2023 and went on to make five First Team appearances before joining Stirling Albion on loan in February, where he made a further eight appearances.

Fellow teenager, Reuben McAllister also made his Hibs debut during the 2023/24 season – coming off the bench in our Europa Conference League qualifying victory against Inter Club d’Escaldes.

Reuben then joined Kelty Hearts in January, making 11 appearances and helping the Fife side to a sixth-place finish.

Finally, Malik Zaid has got his first taste of senior professional football at Edinburgh City.

The capital side struggled this season and were relegated from Scottish League One, however, the experience has been beneficial for Malik who made four goal contributions in 17 games.

Scottish League Two

In Scottish League Two, Jacob Blaney joined fellow team-mate Robbie Hamilton on loan at East Fife for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

Jacob played nine times, whilst Robbie has played in 11 matches – registering two assists.

East Fife finished just outside the play-off spots, in fifth on 44 points.