Hirst wants to return – and I hope he does, reveals Blues skipper
Robertson challenges Blues to reach an agreement with Leicester over top scorer as successful loan comes to an end. NEIL ALLEN reports...
CLARK ROBERTSON insists George Hirst wants to remain at Fratton Park – and has urged Pompey to find a way of securing him.
The Leicester loanee netted his 15th goal of the season as the curtain fell on the Blues’ campaign with a 4-1 loss at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Hirst will now return to his parent club, where he is under contract for another 12 months, yet moves to bring him back are under way, realistically for another loan.
Certainly Robertson is keen for a third successive campaign as the striker’s team-mate, having played alongside each other at Rotherham last season and now Fratton Park.
According to the Blues’ skipper, a blossoming Hirst is unrecognisable from his Millers days – and is desperate for him to be back for 2022-23.
Robertson told The News: ‘George wants to come back – and I hope he does, he’s a good player.
‘I was at Rotherham with him last season and he never had a proper chance. He was coming on in games for the last 10-15 minutes and that’s always difficult to do as a striker.
‘You are expected to influence games in that short time, but at Rotherham we were also chasing games and scrapping for points, so that’s not easy.
‘There was a different feel for him here since he got into the team and it’s just confidence.
‘I look at him now and he is 100 per cent different. George has grown in confidence, he looks a different player.
‘Since he came into the team against Crystal Palace (under-21s) in November and got the winner, he has kicked on and been outstanding.
‘The following match at Wycombe he started as well. I was injured and, watching on iFollow, he looked a different player from that point, running past players. He finished the second half of the season well.
‘I hope George comes back here, he’s a good player, he feels loved by the fans – we’ll see what happens in the summer and see if he comes back.
‘He’s had a good second half of the season and will be looking to kick on again next season, hopefully with us.’
Former Owl Hirst’s
15-goal haul came from 46 appearances, establishing him as the Blues’ top scorer.
Yet last term he failed to net in 31 league outings, of which four were Championship starts, during a loan spell at Rotherham.
Robertson added: ‘He obviously wanted to go back to Sheffield Wednesday and prove a point after what happened.
‘He got his goal early on and I was delighted for him, and had another chance in the second half which he felt he should have done better with.
‘That’s what a run of games in football does for you, you start to grow in confidence, and when you go onto the pitch don’t even think about doing stuff, it just comes naturally.’
Hirst, whose father David ranks as one of Sheffield Wednesday’s all-time greats, found his opportunities limited in the early part of the campaign.
But an impressive goalscoring display against Crystal Palace under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy on November 9 proved the turning point.
He has netted 13 goals in 2022 alone, including five in Pompey’s last six matches.
‘I look at him (Hirst) now and he is 100 per cent different’
Clark Robertson