Exclusive: Update On Leyton Orient Deal For Former Swindon Town Forward

Harry McKirdy’s proposed move away from Hibernian to either Colchester United or Leyton Orient has collapsed after the forward picked up an injury which will require surgery and see him ruled out for 4-6 months, sources have informed The Real EFL. 

McKirdy was in advanced talks with Leyton Orient, having decided to join the League One outfit over a reunion with his former manager Ben Garner at Colchester United. Upon returning for pre-season a scan revealed an issue which required the attention of a specialist, upon assessment it was decided that the 26-year-old would need to have surgery next week on the issue. This will rule him out until approximately November meaning a move this window cannot materialise.

McKirdy had a difficult season at Hibernian, he failed to break into the team and had public fallouts with manager Lee Johnson over his use of social media, including a reference to Gareth Bale’s infamous “Wales, Golf, Madrid” line. This meant he only appeared 18 times in total last season, with five coming at Swindon prior to the move. His last goal also came for the League Two club with Johnson and the player reportedly keen to part ways ahead of the new season.

The 26-year-old forward has also been on the books of Port Vale, Carlisle United, Aston Villa, Newport County, Stevenage and Crewe Alexandra.

Writer’s View

This is possibly the worst possible news for any player, especially one that is looking for a move. This means he will stay at Hibernian until at least the winter transfer window and depending on his recovery, could mean he is unlikely to impact his loan club following a move as he looks to regain fitness and match sharpness. He already spent a period on the sidelines last season, meaning it will be a season and a half of very little football for a player in his prime.