Sheffield Wednesday: Young George thrilled over new Owls deal

The boy wonder has signed on the dotted line.
George HirstGeorge Hirst
George Hirst

Plenty of sides have recently expressed an interest in George Hirst. Several Several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea and West Ham, were thought to have been monitoring the young striker’s situation.

But George, the son of Owls legend David, resisted the potential lure of top-flight football, penning his first pro contract, which will keep him at Hillsborough until 2018, yesterday.

It is a major coup for Wednesday as George is regarded as one of their brightest young talents. He has been a regular for their Under-18 side and has been gradually integrated into their U21 set-up this season.

George said: “Wednesday are my boyhood club and I am absolutely delighted to sign professional terms. There is nowhere else I would rather be. I came here five or six years ago and from then, I’ve never really looked back.”

He is not, by any means, the finished article but has bags of potential. The Owls’ coaching staff, though, rate him so highly that they deployed him as a lone striker in Tuesday’s development clash with Huddersfield Town.

“Obviously the hard work really begins now,” he conceded. “I’ve worked hard to get this opportunity and now it’s all about kicking on, becoming a better player and who knows maybe the first team in the near future hopefully.”

Earlier this year, George scored two goals on his England Under-17 debut in their draw against Germany.

He said: “Getting the England call-up was an amazing experience and the goals topped it off for me really. Now I have got a taste for it, I want even more.

“I want to keep playing well for Wednesday, keep scoring the goals and hopefully more England call-ups will come.”

Signing a pro contract is George’s first move in following in his father’s footsteps. David made over 290 appearances for the Owls, hitting 106 goals.

“He’s given me advice on what to expect and what not to expect,” said George. “But it’s really good having someone like him as my father to help me along and give me tips here and there.”