Grant Hanley (age 34) is a Scottish central defender who has built most of his career in England before returning north with Hibernian. A long-serving professional rather than a player given to much fuss, he first came through at Blackburn Rovers and established himself there at a young age. His busiest league campaign was 2012–13, when he played 39 times and scored twice.
From Blackburn he moved on to Newcastle United, though that spell was brief, and then settled into a longer run at Norwich City. That is where the bulk of his senior work was done – as an experienced centre-back, trusted for his presence and reliability more than anything especially glamorous. By the time he joined Hibs, he was arriving as a seasoned international with a fair amount behind him.
At Hibernian he has remained relevant in the side rather than merely decorative. In 2025–26 he has made 22 league appearances and two League Cup appearances, with his form generally solid across the season. He has been out of the matchday squad recently, last featuring in the 2–0 defeat at Aberdeen on 11 April 2026, but he has still been a regular first-team presence over the course of the campaign.
He has also stayed involved with Scotland, making four World Cup qualifying appearances this season. His current value is around £425,000, according to Transfermarkt.
Hanley’s career has followed a fairly clear line – early promise at Blackburn, experienced years in England, then a continuing role at Hibs as a dependable senior defender. He is not a player built on fuss, but he has stayed useful deep into his thirties.
