Following the completion of his loan agreement, the goalkeeper may make his debut this weekend.
Hibs have agreed to a loan agreement for Club Brugge goalkeeper Josef Bursik, making their first summer acquisition.
After veteran goalkeeper David Marshall resigned at the end of the previous campaign, the Easter Road club was left without a No. 1. Bursik, a 23-year-old former England Under-21 international, will enter the competition to win the gloves after Hibs arranged a loan arrangement with the Belgian team.
Before joining Club Brugge for an undisclosed fee in January 2023, Bursik began his career with Stoke City in 2018, making 50 appearances in the English Championship. He also had loan stints with Telford United, Accrington Stanley, Doncaster Rovers, Peterborough United, and Hednesford Town. Due to a knee injury, most of that year was lost; however, in 2024, he was able to play for the under-23s again. Although he was not utilized as a substitute toward the conclusion of the previous season, he has not yet made a senior appearance for Club Brugge.
Bursik, who is of Czech descent, assisted England’s Under-17 team in qualifying for both the Under-17 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship final in 2017.
Head coach David Gray of Hibs remarked, “I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Josef to the football club,” upon Bursik’s arrival. We have been keeping an eye on him for a while because of his technical prowess, background, and the glowing character references we have heard about. My coaching staff and I are excited to collaborate with him.
Malky Mackay, the sporting director, continued, “I’m really happy Josef has chosen Hibs as the club to showcase his talents.” We are excited to have him at Easter Road as he is an excellent goalkeeper and a kind young man. I would want to express my gratitude to Club Brugge for facilitating Josef’s loan deal transition, and I hope they have the finest season ever.
Bursik may play in his first Hibs game on Saturday when they play a friendly against Edinburgh City at Meadowbank. This is the team’s first preseason game since Gray was named the team’s new manager.
Easter Road is anticipated to see a flurry of transfer activity this week, with Bursik’s teammate Jojo Wollacott being linked to a Stevenage move. In order to restructure the team for the 2024–25 campaign, Gray and Mackay are looking to add at least one center-half before the weekend.
