George David Eric Hirst (born 15 February 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Stoke City. Born in England, he plays for the Scotland national team.
Hirst began his career with hometown club Sheffield Wednesday before a contract dispute saw him join Leicester City via OH Leuven in 2019. After a barren loan at Rotherham United, he had success with Portsmouth in 2021–22 before another goalless loan spell, this time at Blackburn Rovers. He joined Ipswich Town in January 2023 and helped them to promotion to the Premier League twice, in 2023–24 and 2025–26. In August 2026, he joined Stoke City.
Contents
Club career
Early life
Hirst was born in Sheffield and is the son of former Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst. He attended Notre Dame High School whilst playing in Sheffield Wednesday's academy where he began at under-12 level.
Sheffield Wednesday
After coming through the academy, Hirst signed his first professional contract for Sheffield Wednesday in March 2016. He made his first-team debut against Cambridge United on 9 August 2016, in the EFL Cup in a 2–1 defeat. His league debut came on 10 December 2016 in a 2–1 defeat against Reading. In April 2018, Hirst was linked with a move to Manchester United after rejecting a long-term contract at Wednesday. Hirst fell out with the club's hierarchy over a new contract which led to him being 'frozen out' by the club in 2017–18.
OH Leuven
In June 2018, Hirst was signed by Belgian Challenger Pro League team OH Leuven, led by former Sheffield Wednesday player Nigel Pearson. Since Leuven are owned by the same King Power ownership group as Leicester City, the transfer acted as a financial bridge to bring him back to England. In the 2018–19 season, Hirst scored three goals in 22 appearances.
Leicester City
After one season at OH Leuven, Hirst joined Premier League club Leicester City in the summer of 2019, linking up with their under-21 squad. On 19 July 2020, Hirst made his debut for Leicester, coming on in the 83rd minute in a 3–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, and also played against Manchester United in the final match of the 2019–20 season.
On 16 September 2020, Hirst joined Rotherham United on loan for the 2020–21 season. At the New York Stadium, Hirst played back-up to forwards Freddie Ladapo and Michael Smith in a struggling Rotherham team who went on to be relegated. Hirst failed to score in 32 appearances for the Millers, of which only four were starts. On 3 August 2021, Hirst joined League One side Portsmouth on loan for the 2021–22 season. Under the management of Danny Cowley, Hirst was able to regain his confidence in front of goal, scoring 15 times in 46 appearances. Portsmouth tried to sign Hirst on a permanent basis but were unable to meet Leicester's asking price.
On 31 August 2022, Hirst joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan, with an option to buy. His loan at Ewood Park was unsuccessful and, after failing to score in 11 appearances, he was recalled by Leicester in January 2023.
Ipswich Town
On 8 January 2023, Hirst joined Ipswich Town on loan for the rest of the season. On 13 July 2023, Hirst made his move to Ipswich Town permanent for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year deal with the club. He scored his first-ever Championship goal on his second debut for the club, netting against Sunderland on the opening day of the 2023–24 season.
Whilst playing against his former club, Leicester City, on 26 December 2023, he suffered a "significant" hamstring injury which would put him out for a majority of the rest of the season. He returned for the final three games of the season, beginning with the 3–3 draw against Hull City on 27 April, starting the match and scoring the first goal of the game. He then started on the bench in the following game against Coventry City, before starting the final game of the season, a 2–0 victory over Huddersfield Town where Ipswich were promoted to the Premier League.
He scored his first Premier League goal for Ipswich on 26 October 2024, his first game in the starting line-up, in which the Tractor Boys went on to lose 4–3 at Brentford, having been two goals up in the first half. Hirst scored three Premier League goals in 26 appearances as Ipswich were relegated back to the Championship with four matches remaining. On 4 July 2025, he extended his contract with the club until 2029. Hirst played a key role in 2025–26, scoring 11 times as Ipswich made an instant return to the Premier League, finishing in second place.
Stoke City
On 20 August 2026, Hirst joined Championship club Stoke City for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.
International career
Hirst was eligible to represent England as his birthplace and Scotland via his paternal grandfather.
England youth
Hirst made his debut for the England Under-17 national team during the Algarve Cup in February 2016 – in his second game for the team he scored twice against Germany in a 2–2 draw. He was subsequently called up to the squad for the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Azerbaijan. In the group stage Hirst scored against Denmark and started the Quarter-final defeat against Spain.
On 23 August 2016, Hirst was called up to the England U18s for the first time. In summer 2017, Hirst represented England Under 20s at the 2017 Toulon Tournament, scoring a hat-trick in a game against Cuba to take his 2016–17 tally to 40 goals in all competitions. Hirst started in the final against the Ivory Coast which England won on penalties and was subsequently named in the team of the tournament.
On 1 September 2017, Hirst scored his second hat-trick of the Summer in a victory against Poland, for England Under-19. In July 2018, Hirst was included in the squad for the 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
In May 2019, Hirst was included in the England U20 squad for the 2019 Toulon Tournament.
Scotland
On 11 March 2025, Hirst declared for Scotland through a change of association approved by FIFA. He made his full international debut later that month, in a Nations League match against Greece. Hirst then scored his first Scotland goal on 9 June 2025, during a friendly with Liechtenstein.
On 19 May 2026, Hirst was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 7 November 2026
International
As of match played 6 June 2026
Scores and results list Scotland goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hirst goal.
Honours
Ipswich Town
EFL League One runner-up: 2022–23
EFL Championship runner-up: 2023–24, 2025–26
England U20
Toulon Tournament: 2017
Individual
Toulon Tournament Team of the Tournament: 2017