SCOTLAND’S frontline has been primarily led by Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes over the past five years.
But Steve Clarke looks set to have a new, imposing striker to call upon in the very near future.
George Hirst fired Ipswich to promotion glory[/caption]
Hirst has played for England at youth level[/caption]
George with girlfriend Aela Brown[/caption]
It was back in July 2024 when SunSport exclusively revealed that George Hirst was on Scotland’s radar.
We told you how the Ipswich striker was willing to switch his international allegiance to the Scots.
Hirst, 26, has been capped by England from under-17 level through to under-20s.
In the end, no call-up materialised last summer but with months of Premier League experience under his belt, Hirst is back in the frame.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke was in attendance at the City Ground to run the rule over the 6ft5 frontman.
And Hirst delivered the goods too, scoring for Ipswich against Nottingham Forest.
With regular Scotland frontman Dykes set to miss out on the upcoming squad to face Greece in a double-header next month, Hirst could now be set for that maiden call-up.
Hirst, who has featured 15 times in the Premier League for Ipswich this season, hasn’t taken the most conventional path to the top level of English football.
And it certainly isn’t the most conventional path to the top level of international football either!
SunSport takes a look at the man who could be Scotland’s next striking star.
Legendary dad & home town hero
Hirst was born in Sheffield on February 15, 1999.
It’s a city where his dad became a legend.
David Hirst played for Sheffield Wednesday between 1986 and 1997.
It was a successful period for the Owls who were Premier League regulars, while they also won the League Cup in 1991.
Hirst Snr led the line as Wednesday stunned Man Utd to seal glory at Wembley.
With 106 league goals in 294 games, he’s a Sheffield Wednesday legend and was also capped by England on three occasions, scoring once.
From an early age, George followed in his dad’s footsteps.
He joined the Sheffield Wednesday academy and emulated his dad by making it to the first team.
Aged just 17, Hirst made his Owls debut in a League Cup clash with Cambridge United in August 2016.
He made his league debut a few months later but in early 2018, it became clear his future would lie AWAY from his boyhood club.
Old Trafford eyes
Hirst didn’t feature at all for Wednesday’s first team in the 2017/18 campaign.
His lack of opportunities came amid a refusal to sign a long-term contract, with his deal at the time expiring at the end of that season.
However, he was a highly sought after talent.
Leicester City saw a £1million bid kicked out for him in the summer before the season started.
Viewed at the time as one of England’s top prospects, Hirst was then targeted by Manchester United.
In April 2018, Wednesday boss Jos Luhukay confirmed Man Utd’s interest and reports at the time suggested a deal was close.
However, a move to Old Trafford failed to materialise.
Hirst did leave Sheffield Wednesday – and also left England.
George Hirst career stats
2016-18 – Sheffield Wednesday: 2 games, 0 goals
2018-19 – OH Leuven: 22 games, 3 goals
2019-23 – Leicester City: 2 games, 0 goals
2020-21 – Rotherham (loan): 31 games, 0 goals
2021-22 – Portsmouth (loan): 40 games, 13 goals
2022-23 – Blackburn (loan): 9 games, 0 goals
2023 – Ipswich (loan): 21 games, 6 goals
2023-present – Ipswich (loan): 41 games, 8 goals
* league appearances only
To Belgium and back – with Brendan Rodgers
Despite the interest from top English clubs, Hirst instead ended up moving to Belgium.
After leaving Sheffield Wednesday, he penned a five-year deal with Belgian second tier club OH Leuven in a surprise move.
However, it was a move that made sense.
Leuven were owned at the time by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha – the man who owned Leicester City.
After one season with Leuven, where he scored three times in 22 league matches, Hirst DID finally join Leicester.
He was snapped-up by the Foxes in July 2019, two years after the club’s previous attempt to sign him.
The move saw him link up with Brendan Rodgers, who had controversially left Celtic for the King Power stadium five months previously.
Hirst would find first team chances hard to come by, although he did get his Premier League debut when the season resumed post-Covid.
He appeared as a late sub in Leicester’s final two games of the season against Tottenham and Man Utd.
That would be as good as it got for Hirst at Leicester and he’d spent the rest of his time with the club out o nloan.
He had an unfruitful 2020/21 season at Rotherham, where he failed to score a single goal in 31 Championship appearances.
Hirst returned to goalscoring form the season after, netting 13 times in 40 games for Portsmouth in League One.
After spending the first half of the 2022/23 season at Blackburn he then moved to Ipswich for the second half of the campaign.
And it’s been a move that’s been the making of Hirst.
Promotion and Premier League
Hirst played an integral role as Ipswich secured promotion back to the Championship.
Finishing second in League One, they returned to the second tier in Kieran McKenna’s first season in charge.
Hirst netted six goals to help fire the club to promotion.
He became a fans’ favourite and Ipswich signed him permanently from Leicester ahead of their Championship tilt.
Hirst’s season got off to an incredible start.
He scored the winning goal as Ipswich beat Sunderland 2-1 away from home on the opening day of the season – it was his first Championship goal.
It would, of course, prove to be a special season for Ipswich who went on to secure unprecedented back-to-back promotions and a stunning return to the Premier League.
Hirst led the line for the Tractor Boys with aplomb through the first half of the season, but suffered injury hell mid way through the campaign.
A horror hamstring injury suffered on Boxing Day – against former club Leicester – ruled him out for the majority of the rest of the season.
He made it back for Ipswich’s final three games of the Championship season and marked his return with a goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Hull City.
It meant he was back in time to celebrate with Ipswich superfan Ed Sheeran at the end of the season!
Ipswich splashed their promotion cash in the summer, including the bumper £20million signing of centre-forward Liam Delap from Manchester City.
Delap has been Town’s first choice striker this campaign with Hirst’s chances somewhat limited.
He has, however, taken his chances when he’s go them.
Hirst suffered a horror injury last season[/caption]
Hirst with Ipswich superfan Ed Sheeran[/caption]
Hirst netted his first ever Premier League goal on his first top division start with Ipswich, scoring against Brentford in October.
The cup competitions have afforded Hirst more regular starting chances.
He led the line in the FA Cup clash with Coventry last month and opened the scoring after two minutes.
After returning to the bench on league duty, Hirst was restored to the starting XI in this week’s FA Cup last 16 meeting with Nottingham Forest.
Once again, Hirst scored, heading the opener at the City Ground.
Ultimately, Forest would level things up before going on to win on penalties – a shoot-out that took place after Hirst had been subbed.
Crucially, however, he scored with Steve Clarke watching on.
England ambitions
While Hirst looks set to become SCOTLAND’S next striker, he previously represented ENGLAND.
As mentioned, he was capped from under-17 level up to under-20s for the country of his birth.
As recently as just over a year ago, Hirst was still talking about his ambitions to play for England.
While still playing in the Championship for Ipswich, he said: “Yeah, it’s obviously every footballer’s goal – one of the highest achievements you can ever get in your career is to play for your country.
“To be selected as one of the best about for your country, I spoke to my dad and he did it three times and said to me himself that there’s no greater honour.
“That would be a long-term aspiration.
“We’re in the Championship at the minute and that’s not something on the near horizon – I’m clear about that – but if I can keep doing my job and getting the best out of myself that I possibly can and if we keep winning games and taking this team to where it belongs, then you never know down the line.”
Hirst now does look set to realise his international football dreams – but it looks set to be for Scotland instead.
The striker could be included in Steve Clarke’s squad for the Nations League play-off double-header with Greece later this month.
Stunning boxer Wag
Hirst is often supported by his stunning girlfriend Aela Brown.
The loved-up couple regularly share pictures of their adventures together on social media and Aela is often cheering him on at Portman Road.
Multi-talented Aela has amassed a huge social media following of her own.
The stunning influencer has more than 21,000 followers on Instagram and over 78,000 on TikTok.
Giving her followers a glimpse into her life, Aela works as a wedding planner and regularly posts lifestyle-related features and vlogs.
But Hirst is by no means the only sporting star in the relationship!
Aela is a keen horse rider and loves equestrian.
But she also enjoys stepping into the BOXING ring.
A video on TikTok early last year showed her sparring and she even fought on a major card in Ipswich.
Aela has been training with the Prospect Boxing League and stepped into the ring last March, winning her bout against Lucy Kerry.
On TikTok, she described boxing as her ‘second favourite hobby.’
Aela was on the pitch with Hirst after Ipswich were promoted to the Premier League[/caption]
Stunning Aela has a huge social media following[/caption]
The wedding planner has more than 21,000 Instagram followers[/caption]
She’s also a keen boxer[/caption]
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