Sheffield Wednesday’s chairman said he is resigned to losing Hirst in 2018.
Carlton Palmer has moved to clarify speculation surrounding the future of George Hirst, having spoken to the Sheffield Wednesday talent and his father, David, the former Owls striker, earlier this week.
At the start of December, Dejphon Chansiri, the Wednesday chairman, revealed he is resigned to losing Hirst in 2018, having failed to tie him to a new contract at Hillsborough.
In a statement published on the Owls’ official website, Chansiri claimed the 18-year-old striker was offered a deal that would have been the ‘most lucrative of its kind in our club’s history’.
The Thai added that a agreement to loan Hirst to a lower league club had been established in the meantime, but only on the basis that the player re-signed.
And Hirst’s failure to accept Wednesday’s offer led Chansiri to question ‘the advice George has received from his agents and other advisors’.
But when asked during an appearance on BBC Radio Sheffield on Thursday whether Hirst’s future is indeed being dictated by outside influences, Palmer, former Owls midfielder, replied: “No – load of rubbish.
“I was with David and George yesterday. The only thing that’s going on there is George wants to play football, he wants to get the opportunity to play.
“They’re signing more and more strikers, he’s going down the pecking order. He’s happy to stay if they let him go out on loan, but they’re asking a loan fee for him which is huge and they’re not prepared to pay him that in wages. You can’t have it one way and the other.
“They’ve got a young talent there that if they’re not going to play they need to get him out and let him get experience. The under-23s, George is better than that now, he’s proven that. He needs to play in the first team, experience that and learn his trade.”
Is there any way back for Hirst at Sheffield Wednesday?
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