Who is Harry McKirdy? All you need to know about Hibs' New Striker

On deadline, Lee Johnson finally completed the signing of English Forward Harry McKirdy. After weeks of speculation, Hibernian finally have their man - with the 25 Year Old making his debut against Kilmarnock last Saturday.

[McKirdy makes his Hibernian debut - Image: Ross Parker/SNS Group]

Scottish football fans may be unaware of the Englishman's talents, in this post, we will cover all you need to know about Harry McKirdy.

Player Profile:

Name: Harry McKirdy

Height: 5'7/175cm

Age: 25

Nationality: English

Position: Forward

Preferred Foot: Right

McKirdy is a versatile and prolific frontman, who began his career at Aston Villa, spending time out on loan at Stevenage, Crewe Alexandra and Newport County, before joining English League Two side Carlisle United on a free transfer.

After an impressive breakout campaign in Cumbria, where he scored goals and grabbed 7 assists in just 38 matches, McKirdy signed for Port Vale. His time with "The Valiants" was challenging after he was deregistered from the squad early into the season due to new signings.

The Forward only made 12 appearances all season, returning 2 goals and being released upon the expiry of his contract, prompting a move to Swindon Town. This would prove to be the most fruitful spell of his career so far.

McKirdy instantly became a key player for Swindon, playing a variety of positions, including Right Wing, Left Wing and Centre Forward. In his debut campaign, he would score a monstrous 23 goals, as well as assisting a further 10 - all in just 44 games. This was the most prolific spell of his career to date, contributing a goal or assist roughly every 103 minutes for the entire season.

[McKirdy celebrates scoring - Image: Kieran Riley/MI News/NurPhoto]

Over the summer transfer window there was a lot of interest in his services, but as the deadline was approaching it appeared as though he would be staying with Swindon, even playing 5 games and scoring 2 goals in League Two this term. Luckily for Lee Johnson, a move was pushed through right on the deadline and he finally has his man.

This is what Lee Johnson had to say about his new signing:

LJ: "Everyone can see how well he's been performing over the last 12 months or so and he's a player that's coming into the prime years of his career. He's someone that shows his pitch personality and has a real desire to keep on improving."

So, you may be wondering, what type of player is McKirdy?

Well, Harry McKirdy is a very unique and special footballer. He has great technique, striking the ball from any and every angle, he is incredibly two-footed, scoring with both his left and his right regularly, and despite his rather modest stature he also loves a header.

He is also an incredibly creative player, setting up plenty of chances for his teammates and creating openings. He likes a flick or a trick, particularly favouring a backheel pass, this flair and invention will no doubt make him a fan favourite in Leith.

McKirdy is also incredibly passionate, although sometimes to his own detriment. He picks up plenty of yellow cards and loves ruffling opposition fans' feathers, whilst hyping his own supporters up. He will definitely divide opinion in Scotland.

If he can carry the form he showed in League Two for Swindon over to the Scottish Premiership he will be an incredible asset for Hibernian, providing plenty of competition in their already pretty stacked front line.

In my humble opinion, this is an excellent signing for Hibernian and one that has gone under the radar. He may have had a quiet debut against Kilmarnock, playing around 40 minutes and failing to score, but if he gets a run of games I would expect plenty of goals from him this season. With Martin Boyle alongside him, and Nisbet to return from injury, Hibs have some front line on their hands now.