Former Hibs star Steven Whittaker has revealed he was determined to move into coaching at the end of his initial contract at Easter Road on his return from England.
The defender started his career at Hibs before spells at Rangers and Norwich and returned to the club in 2017 and had three years before joining Dunfermline last summer.
Since moving to East End Park, Whittaker has helped out Stevie Crawford and the management staff with some coaching and he admits that was always his plan.
And he revealed he put it in place when he first returned to Hibs and was determined to enjoy the three-year deal at Easter Road by playing as much football as possible before having some focus on coaching.
He told the Dunfermline website: “I made the decision when I came back from Norwich, I had three years to enjoy my spell at Hibs which I did trying to play as much as I could. That took me up to my 36th birthday and then I had a decision, do I keep playing with a coaching role?
"That is why Dunfermline was a good fit for me, I could continue to play and enjoy putting on the strip alongside the rest that came with it, the coaching side.
“Now it is just a matter of taking it season by season, seeing how the body holds up. Have you got the drive and motivation to keep going for another season? I will face that towards the end of each season whether I decide to play on or not.
“It is one that I am comfortable with, if I think it is time to get involved in the coaching side and see improvement in these young guys who are in the team and doing well at the minute. That will be the choice that I will make nearer the time.”
