EXCLUSIVE

George Hirst: Ipswich striker ready to fill Liam Delap’s boots as Tractor Boys hunt Premier League return.

George Hirst of Ipswich on putting “Unavoidable” injuries behind him to lead the line for Kieran McKenna’s side in their pursuit of immediate promotion back to the Premier League; watch Birmingham vs Ipswich live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm on Friday night; kick-off 8pm.

Ipswich’s rollercoaster ride of the last three years has been well documented. Back-to-back promotions from League One and the Championship to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years, followed by a return to the second tier. There has been excitement and drama at every turn.

And George Hirst has been there for it all.

After joining the club on loan from Leicester in January 2023, he helped the League One promotion cause with six goals and two assists in 21 appearances and, after signing permanently six months later, he helped the Championship promotion cause with seven goals and six assists in 26 appearances.

During the latter, he had established himself as Kieran McKenna’s talisman, but a ruptured hamstring, which required surgery, kept him out for the first four months of 2024.

Knee injuries denied him 12 Premier League games last term, too, meaning since April 27 2024, Hirst has only managed seven league starts, with his other 22 league appearances all coming from the bench.

“It’s been tough, more so because I feel like the injuries I’ve had have been so unavoidable,” he tells Sky Sports.

“If I’m injured as a result of something I didn’t do, it’s easier to take because I can blame myself.” The injuries I’ve had were simply a result of bad luck, and there was nothing I could have done in the weeks or months leading up to them.

“Having just made it to the Premier League and then getting injured was disappointing because I didn’t want to pass up that opportunity.

In this game, you never know when another opportunity will present itself. “It was difficult to maintain a level head. I am not going to sit here and say that every day was great.

According to the staff, there were days when I came in that I was difficult to work with! It was just about staying consistent, continuing my rehab, getting back, and hopefully being in better shape than before.” However, injuries have not been the only thing keeping him out of contention.

Liam Delap excelled in his first Premier League season, scoring 12 goals and eventually earning a move to Chelsea, who activated his £30 million release clause.

“It [being out of the team] is difficult and it can feel like the opportunity has gone missing,” Hirst tells me. “But Liam was absolutely fantastic last season and made it difficult for me to break into the team.

“We got along really well off the pitch, which can be a strange dynamic at times because we’re both competing for the same shirt.

It was healthy competition, and we pushed each other to be better because we knew if we dropped the ball, the other would take over. “I played a few games near the end of the season and felt I deserved it; in this game, I feel like you get the rewards for the work you put in.

All you can do is work as hard as is humanly possible, that’s how I see it. It’s coming in every day, showing the best version of yourself.

“I’ve always been the first person to examine myself. If I don’t play, there’s something I’m not doing right or someone else is doing it better. “It’s up to me to make that right, to raise my levels, to give the manager another option.

It’s challenging, but competition is competition. It will always be in football, and it is something I enjoy.”

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