Harry McKirdy backed to come good at Hibs after ditching 'unprofessionalism' and finding girlfriend

Harry McKirdy’s best is yet to come but Hibs boss Lee Johnson is hoping that it will come to the fore by the start of next season.

Seeing a more settled player on and off the field he says the 26-year-old attacker could even make the breakthrough before the end of the current campaign.

There have been no goals or assists in the Londoner’s 15 appearances since signing from Swindon Town at the tailend of the summer transfer window but Johnson says the man who set the English League Two goal scoring charts alight last term has taken time to adapt to the step up. But he hasn’t ruled out the chances of McKirdy coming good.

“I don’t think he’s had any flow. I’ve said to him openly that I thought the first 10, 12 weeks it took him a while to get into the levels of professionalism we require at the football club,” said Johnson. “That set him back a little bit, and he then got injured – I think on the back of two or three acts of unprofessionalism. But every club holds themselves to different standards and Harry hadn’t played a lot of football outside of League One and League Two, and this is a higher level than that.

Harry McKirdy has struggled to make an impact at Hibs since his summer move from Swindon. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

“You’re playing with better players, you’re playing with international players, and you’re playing against better players. And you need a flow, you need a consistent run and you need to settle. He’s got himself a girlfriend now, which I believe is all part of the holistic ability to settle. She’s a Scottish girl, which is important because she knows the area and they know the right places to go. I feel he’s settled now, so I’m hoping that certainly from the start of next season, but hopefully between now and the end of the season, that starts to come out in his performances.”

McKirdy came on in last weekend’s loss to Motherwell but with Elie Youan returning from suspension and expected to go straight back into the starting line-up against Dundee United, he may have to wait for his next opportunity to impress. “Obviously, the team selection isn’t an easy one after Saturday’s game,” admitted Johnson. “But I do trust the squad and I just want them to bring the best version of themselves more often.”