Harry McKirdy reprimanded by Hibs after 'misconstrued' Swindon Town social media post

Hibs manager Lee Johnson has spoken to striker Harry McKirdy in an effort to clarify recent comments on social media and remind him of the behaviour expected at the Easter Road club.

Hibs forward Harry McKirdy caused a stir with a social media post.

The 25-year-old, who signed for the Easter Road club from Swindon Town on the final day of the summer transfer window and quickly became a cult hero due to his maverick tendencies on and off the park, has stirred up a furore after he responded to a comment he was tagged in on his former club’s Instagram account.

Having endured a difficult few months with injury, he had also taken time to settle into a new city and adapt to the Scottish game and that has limited the former Aston Villa youth player first-team involvement. While the team have moved themselves into third place in the Premiership standings, he has, thus far, failed to live up to the early hype, making just one Premiership start. The player who rattled 26 goals in all competitions for Swindon last term has also failed to find the net yet for his new side.

A fan favourite while at Swindon Town, fans there have followed his career and, having registered his ongoing battle for match time, the League Two fans took to social media. The initial post read: “Time to come back @HarryMcKirdy” and he replied: “Not wrong.” That left a section of Hibs supporters furious as they felt that rather than buckling down and vindicating the club’s faith in him, he was instead looking to escape back south.

McKirdy has since deleted his message but it is understood that the player has had a meeting with manager Lee Johnson where he was asked to explain himself. Acknowledging the welcome extended by Hibs and the Leith support the forward, who is signed to Hibs until May 2025, he has claimed that the tone of his comment has been misconstrued and said that he only meant he would like to return to the County Ground at some stage of his career, not immediately. However, he has been warned about his future conduct, especially when it comes to online interactions, and reminded of the standards expected at the Scottish Premiership side.