Harry McKirdy’s recovery from heart surgery: Weight gain, eating lots, ‘Hibs boys love him’, return date

Hibs forward Harry McKirdy is making strong progress in recovery from heart surgery, according to his manager Nick Montgomery.

The 26-year-old Londoner went under the knife during the summer after routine pre-season scans picked up a potential issue with his heart. However, the former Swindon Town forward - who Montgomery described as a “fantastic kid” - is back within the first-team dressingroom and while a return to action is still some months away, his rehabilitation is going “really well”.

Montgomery said: “Harry’s a fantastic kid. He’s had a really traumatic experience but he’s back in with the boys, and the boys love him. He’s obviously lost a lot of weight but he’s putting it back on. He’s working really hard with the nutritionist. He’s got his appetite back, I saw him eating mountains of food this week. It’s great to see that.

“We know he’s a really talented player but from what he’s been through, he needs to take his time. He’s got to have the strength and the power to train with an elite group of players. It’s about not rushing him. He’s got Chrissy Cadden for company at the moment. They’ve been knocking around the gym together. They are both desperate to be back involved but they know they can’t be rushed. December, January, February, anywhere around that time, they’ll be like new signings. We’re really looking forward to getting them back.

“Chatting to Harry, he’s a funny kid. I have plenty of funny conversations with him and he’s buzzing to be progressing a little bit every week. It’s not easy to accelerate that return to playing. He has to get the weight up, then his fitness up on the pitch and with the ball, and then his power up in the gym. It’s a step-by-step process. All I can say is he is going really well and everyone is really happy with him.”