Striker George Hirst admits that returning to face former club Rotherham in Friday’s live-on-Sky clash provides an opportunity to prove a point as Town seek the win they need to return to the top of the Championship.
Hirst, 24, spent the entire 2020/21 season on loan at the Millers from Leicester City, but was unable to break his scoring duck in 31 league appearances, only four of which were as a member of the starting line-up, as both his temporary employers and first club Sheffield Wednesday were relegated.
Asked how he looks back on his time as a Rotherham player, the 6ft 4ins forward said: "Not very well, to be honest. I didn’t really play as much as I would have liked. You go on Wikipedia and it says 31 games and no goals, but if you look at the actual minutes that I played that season and add them up it’s the equivalent of about six or seven games, which makes it nowhere near as bad a stat.
"That’s what some people miss, I think, but for me it’s something that I massively learned from. I sort of know what it takes now to play as a striker in this division and I feel as if I’m getting better, even if I still have a lot to learn. I’m much wiser now than I was back then but I don’t hold any grudges and I don’t look back on it as a bad thing.
"I’ve had that spell in my career but it’s behind me and I can just kick on now. If things weren’t going so well here, at least I’ve had the experience at Rotherham and I know how I’d get myself out of it. It wasn’t my finest hour there, perhaps, but off the pitch I learned quite a lot about myself.
"Does it provide extra motivation? I think it’s always nice to play against a former team and probably a bit sweeter playing against a former team where things didn’t exactly go according to plan.
"It gives you a sense of having a point to prove, like to the fans who were watching me there, but it tends to be something the media like to build up more than I will. It adds a little bit more spice, no doubt, but it’s all about going out to do the job and that is the same no matter who we are playing, so on that side of it nothing changes too much.”
Hirst has netted two league goals this season, one on the opening day of the season in Town’s 2-1 win at Sunderland and another last month in the 4-3 home win over another of his former loan clubs, Blackburn Rovers, who left Portman Road on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline following a memorable 90-plus minutes for another near-capacity crowd.
Friday’s game will see Town return to action after an international break in which several players featured for their countries, and Hirst makes no secret of his own desire to join them in gaining senior honours, although he’s not expecting anything to happen in the near future.
He added: "Every footballer’s goal is to represent their country and I’m no different. One of the highest achievements in your career is to play for your country, meaning you are one of the best out there. I’ve spoken to my dad about it – he did it three times at senior level – and he agrees there is no greater honour.
"For me it’s a long-term aspiration – I know it’s not on the horizon at the moment – but if I keep doing my job and become the best I can be, and I can help to get Ipswich where they belong, you never know what could happen further down the line.”
Hirst is understood to also qualify for Scotland through a grandfather so it will be interesting to see if Steve Clarke, who has already clinched a qualifying place for the Scots in next summer’s Euros to be hosted by Germany, might see the Town striker as someone who could challenge QPR’s Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams of Southampton for a place in his side.
"When I was playing for the England youth team I was playing with and against some of the best players in the world,” said Hirst. "I was at Sheffield Wednesday at the time and I was meeting up with lads who were at Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and other top Premier League sides.
"Although it was a bit different for me, it was still a great experience to see different countries, different stadiums and different styles of football. It keeps you switched on and it was better than just having a rest from your club time.”
Hirst was pleased to see colleagues, including Welsh duo Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead, plus the Australian pair of Cameron Burgess and Massimo Luongo, featuring for their countries recently, adding: "It was good to see the lads getting the recognition they deserve.
"We’ve had a lot of good players playing a lot of good football this season and to see them going away on international duty is a credit to themselves, a credit to the club and a credit to the whole set-up here.
"It’s great that Ipswich Town is a team that international managers are coming to look at when they are picking players for their squads. I was back home in Sheffield when Australia were playing England at Wembley last week, but I know some of the lads were going to the game.
There will be another international break next month and Hirst continued: "When we’re winning games, we just want to keep playing, but it’s good to have a reset and a rest, and to give yourself a chance to re-focus going into the next block of games. As long as we can carry on performing as we have been, keep the games coming.
"I don’t mind the break. It gives me a chance to go back to Sheffield and see family and friends, stuff like that, but after a couple of days I’m bored and looking forward to getting back down here and training.
"Like I said, keep the games coming thick and fast. We’re playing well and there’s more that I can work on and bring to my game, which should see me improve further. This is all part of the journey and I want to keep going. I love it.”