According to reports from the Daily Mail, Leicester City have had a £1 million bid rejected for 18-year old Sheffield Wednesday forward George Hirst.
The young starlet has been regarded as one of the most promising talents coming through in the country and the report claims that the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton are all monitoring Hirst, but the Foxes are the first to make an offer. However, they have been rebuffed by the Owls, but Leicester are expected to come back with a bigger bid for the England youth international.
With so much interest surrounding the youngster, from several top clubs, let’s take a closer look at who exactly is George Hirst and what is making him such a sought-after player;
Footballing Background
Born in Sheffield, England, on 15 February 1999, George Hirst is the son of former footballer David Hirst, a former striker for Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, and Southampton. The youngster started off his career with the Owls and having risen through the ranks, he signed his first professional contract with Sheffield Wednesday in March 2016.
Hirst made his first team debut for the Owls in August 2016, against Cambridge United in the first round of the EFL Cup and made his Championship debut in December 2016, in a 2-1 loss to Reading. Till date those are the only two occasions he has represented his club at senior level.
The 18-year old has been a regular for the England national team at the youth levels. He made his debut for the Three Lions U-17 side back in February 2016 and went on to make 7 appearances scoring twice. He represented the England U-18 side on 9 occasions as well, finding the back of the net four times.
However, what put him really on the map was his performance in the recently concluded 2017 Toulon Tournament for the England U-20 side. Hirst finished the competition with four goals from five matches as England went on to win the tournament.
Style of Play
An out and out centre-forward, Hirst has displayed all the attributes needed of a striker to succeed at the biggest stages.
The 18-year old is tall at 191cm, and is a good header of the ball and also possesses great ground speed for his height. Strong and physical, he has the ability to shield the ball well at the top of the attack and bring his teammates into the attack, while he has displayed great intelligence in his positioning and movement in behind the defenders. Technically gifted, he is also a decent enough dribbler of the ball.
Someone who can create chances and score, Hirst can operate as a lone striker at the top or can work in tandem with a partner as well. Despite being of such tender age, the England youth starlet has displayed great decision making and predatory instincts in and around the penalty box. An excellent finisher, with either feet, he shows great composure in front of the goal and can turn into a complete package with the right guidance.
What Does The Future Hold?
Hirst has shown in his fledgling career that he is the real deal and can turn into a future star for the England national team. And the interest in him isn’t a surprise considering what he has done at the youth levels in England.
However, moving to a big team at this point in his career may not guarantee a whole lot of first-team opportunities, that he is likely to get with Sheffield. Although there is a possibility of Leicester signing him and loaning him out elsewhere in order to aid his development. If the Foxes do manage to pry him away from the clutches of the Owls, they will have gotten their hands on a star in the making.
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