Hull City youngster eyeing Shota Arveladze talks over his Tigers future

Grimsby Town promotion hero Andy Smith has not ruled out a move back to Blundell Park next season as he looks to build on a sensational finale to his loan spell at the Lincolnshire club, though he admits it may be too early to break into the Championship fold.

The 20-year-old defender spent the second half of the campaign with the Mariners on loan from parent club Hull City and played a crucial role in the club's dramatic 2-1 promotion final win over Solihull Moors at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday afternoon which saw Town promoted back to the EFL at the first attempt.

It's been quite a year for Smith, who started pre-season with the Tigers and played in the League Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic before moving to League Two outfit Salford City where he made just four appearances before being plucked from the Peninsula Stadium by Paul Hurst and thrown straight into the Mariners' back line.

Though it hasn't all been sunshine and roses for the Banbury-born defender, the learning curve has been one to cherish and one that can only bode well for his development. By his own admission, Smith has not set the world alight in the National League and is realistic about his chances of breaking into Shota Arveladze's first-team set-up, admitting another loan spell away from the MKM Stadium will be key for his development.

"I'm looking forward to going into Hull, meeting the new gaffer, and seeing how it is," the youngster told Hull Live. "I'll go in for pre-season and take it from there. The gaffer might have a plan for me, he might not. We'll have to see how it goes. Hopefully, I can have another season full of men's games wherever that may be. Whether that be at Hull or back out on loan again, that's something I'll look at.

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