Former Hibs player released by latest club in EFL as he enters free agency months after Easter Road exit

Harry McKirdy has departed English League Two side Bromley, becoming a free agent after a short spell with the Ravens following his Easter Road exit in February.

The Hayes Lane outfit confirmed the news as part of their retained list following the conclusion of their campaign which saw them finish 11th in the fourth-tier table. He scored twice in nine outings for Bromley is expected by many EFL commentators to be reunited with his former side Crawley Town next term.

The 28-year-old ex-Aston Villa prospect arrived at Hibs a from Swindon on the summer Deadline Day in 2022, and he endured frustrations far beyond football during his time in Edinburgh – including overcoming a serious health condition. He spent time out on at Swindon Town and returned for the pre-season last summer.

Gray was happy to let forward McKirdy leave Hibs

Hibs boss David Gray admitted that McKirdy, who made a total of 33 appearances for the Scottish Premiership third-placed finishers, had endured a “difficult” time in the capital. And the gaffer said the “termination” of his contract with half a season remaining suited everyone.

At he time, Gray said: “I wish Harry nothing but the best moving forward. His time at Hibs has been difficult, but he worked hard to get back to full fitness over the summer after missing the majority of last season. Due to the number of options we have in the forward areas, his game-time this season has been incredibly limited, which is why this termination works best for all parties involved.”

McKirdy left Easter Road without scoring a single goal for Hibs – a statistic made less surprising by factoring in the health concerns that undermined his attempts to establish himself as a starter. The well-travelled forward underwent serious heart surgery in the summer of 2023, followed by a long and slow period of physical rehabilitation before even being able to train with the first team.

Mackay explains why mid-season clearout was key

Speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club on Monday, Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay explained that letting five players leave mid-season - including McKirdy - was a key factor in the European football-clinching run.

He explained: “We did 55 transactions over the summer RE players. It was a squad that had four manager’s imprints over it. Totally unbalanced. Players signed on lengths of contracts - and money - that you raised eyebrows at. We had to trim the squad down. Sometimes you want players to move on for football reasons but they don’t for many reasons.

“It is not easy. You want to move the squad along. One thing that was picked on and criticised a little in January was that we didn’t sign enough players. We did one bit of business in the way but biggest thing that we did was that five senior players left the club. That was a huge move for the culture of the club and the togetherness (of the squad). Certainly going forward, we managed to then sign up and extend Chris Cadden, Jordan Smith, Lewis Miller. We have Jamie McGrath on a pre-contract too.”