New Blues loan signing George Hirst says he can’t wait to get going, his move from Leicester City having been confirmed earlier this evening after his previous spell at Blackburn Rovers had been curtailed.
As reported during yesterday’s game, Hirst watched yesterday’s 4-1 FA Cup victory over Rotherham, another of his former loan clubs, but the striker wishes the deal had been done in time for him to play.
We understand the move was initially expected to be confirmed on Thursday but dragged on to the weekend.
"I can’t wait to get going, to be honest,” he told iFollow Ipswich. "If I could have been here in time for the game [on Saturday] I would have been.
"For me, it’s just going out there, playing in front of fans and them chanting your name when you’re doing well is good.
"Obviously, I get when they’re not too happy they’re going to tell you the same thing as well, but that’s all part of it and love all that side of it as well.
"So hopefully we as a team can go out there and do them proud this season because they’ll keep turning up in their numbers and that’s only going to push us in the right direction.”
TWTD first revealed the Blues were chasing the 23-year-old in May with discussions continuing for much of the close season before the former England U17, U18, U19 and U20 international ultimately joined Championship Rovers.
"I knew there was a little bit of interest and it was one of those things, I chose to go down a different route and test myself with Blackburn and it’s not quite panned out,” he added.
"When they came back to me and said they were still interested, I was delighted. It was a no-brainer.
"I met with the gaffer [Kieran McKenna] in the summer and I’ve spoken to the gaffer in the last couple of days again.
"I’ve had really good, honest conversations with him and from what I’ve heard about him from other people and other lads who have worked under him, they’ve got nothing but good things to say about him.
"For me that was quite a big thing. You tend to find a lot about people from what other people’s opinions, so I couldn’t wait to get here and get the chance to work under him myself.”
Hirst, who has been handed the number 27 shirt Marcus Stewart wore after being signed at a similar stage of the Blues’ 1999/00 promotion season, previously played alongside Marcus Harness and Gassan Ahadme at Portsmouth, Freddie Ladapo at Rotherham and Kyle Edwards and keeper Nick Hayes with young England sides.