Hibs' Harry McKirdy 'starting to feel like a footballer again' after undergoing surgery on heart issue

Hibs forward Harry McKirdy is enjoying ‘starting to feel like a footballer again’ after undergoing surgery on a heart condition that was uncovered during pre-season.

The 26-year-old was gearing up for the club’s first pre-season friendly when scan results came back showing up a hidden condition that required immediate treatment, ruling McKirdy out of action for a significant amount of time.

“I’d been training fine, I felt good in pre-season, and came back sharp and fit. It’s something I didn’t expect to find. Luckily for me they did find it and it’s all sorted now,” he told the club’s website. “It was probably a scary time for my family and people around me. The scan results came back on the Saturday which was the first pre-season game and then I went down to London to get it treated. I had five or five-and-a-half weeks in hospital. I had great support in the hospital and from my family and friends. They were really looking after me and I’m thankful for that.”

While McKirdy remains some way away from first-team participation, he has at least returned to very light training and says he is enjoying ‘starting to feel like a footballer again’.

Harry McKirdy arrives for the first leg of Hibs' Europa Conference League play-off with Aston Villa at Easter Road last month. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS Group

“After the surgery I had to have a lot of medication, but now I’m coming off that and I’m starting to feel more like myself, have more energy, and feel like a normal human again,” he explained. “I feel a lot better now. It’s nice to be out of hospital and get back into a normal routine, back into the gym and running a little bit, just starting to feel like a footballer again.”

The former Swindon Town man is only too aware of the dangers of undiagnosed heart problems and is relieved that his own issue was uncovered when it was – although he is looking forward to regaining full fitness and getting back on the pitch, eventually.

“You have to look at it on the bright side, there have been footballers who have had similar issues recently that have had a lot scarier moments than me and on the pitch, so I’m thankful it didn’t get to that stage, that they found it before, and it was as calm as it could’ve been,” he added.