HIRST WOULD WELCOME RETURN

Uncertainity over future but loan ace is eager to come back

GEORGE HIRST surveyed the Fratton Park stage which revitalised his career and insisted: I’d love to come back.

The 15-goal striker has returned to Premier League Leicester City following an impressive Pompey stay which established him as a favourite among supporters.

With 12 months remaining on his King Power Stadium contract and without a Foxes first-team appearance since July 2020, Hirst’s future is uncertain.

The situation is likely to become clearer upon his return to pre-season training at Brendan Rodgers’ topflight side on June 27.

In the meantime, Danny Cowley is eager to find a way to bring the 23-year-old back to the south coast either permanently or, perhaps more realistically, another loan.

And while Hirst is in the dark over what his future holds, he is adamant he would consider a south-coast return.

He told The News: ‘I’m waiting to see what happens, it’s all to be decided. For now I’m just going to enjoy a bit of a rest, enjoy my holidays.

‘I would love to come back to Pompey, whether that’s something that will happen or could happen, I’m not sure.

‘Never say never, I’ve enjoyed my time down there so much, which obviously plays a factor when it comes to making decisions like this in the future.

‘I need to speak to Leicester, I am their player, and will go from there. I need to see if they have made any decisions and I’m sure all this will happen in the not-toodistant future.

‘If coming back to Pompey is an option then it’s definitely something I would think about, everyone has been brilliant with me.

‘I can’t sit here and say “Yes, I’m coming back”, but at the same time I won’t sit here and say “No, I’m not”.

‘It’s one of those things which take time, you’ve got to look at your options. I am no clearer today about what’s going on than I was six months ago.

‘I've not really spoken to my agent too much this last couple of weeks, I’ve asked him to let me relax and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. There’s a long summer ahead, I’m going to enjoy it, keep myself as fit as possible, and just be ready to go wherever it may be.’

Hirst hadn’t even scored in the Football League until his Fratton Park arrival in August 2021.

During a season-long loan stay with Rotherham in the Championship, he scored just once in 33 appearances across the in the 2020/21 campaign - and that goal came in the EFL Trophy. It subsequently took him until November to break his Blues’ League One duck, netting in the 3-0 success at Lincoln – and it opened the floodgates.

The former Sheffield Wednesday youngster added: ‘I’m probably now seen as a slightly different player than I was this time last year.

‘Last year I was someone who hadn’t scored in 34 games for Rotherham – this year I’m seen as somebody who has scored 10 in their last 14.

‘It has been a break-out season in which I’ve really put my foot down and I’m sure people have noticed.

‘It’s just about picking that form back up again at the start of next season, wherever that may be, and carrying it on.’