 Van Zanten struggled for form during his first season with Hibs, and was frequently replaced at right back by Sol Bamba and Darren McCormack, who are more accustomed to playing at centre back.Towards the end of the season, van Zanten admitted that he had been "disappointed with my performances" and went on to say that it was probably the worst time to lose form, as he had just joined a new club.He was released by Hibs on 1 September 2009.