'Part of the theatre' - George Hirst knows what to expect against Sheffield Wednesday

Striker George Hirst admits he is "not expecting the greatest reception" when he returns to his former club Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow. The 23-year-old is expected to lead the line for Portsmouth in their season finale against the Owls this weekend.

It will be the first time Hirst has played at Hillsborough since leaving Wednesday in the summer of 2018 after rejecting a contract extension. He left Wednesday to join Belgian side OH Leuven as a teenager before completing a permanent switch to Leicester City a year later.

Hirst, the son of Owls legend David, was jeered by a big section of the Wednesday fan-base when the two clubs last met back in December. He told Portsmouth's club website: “We want to finish the season with another win and, on a personal level, I’d like to score some more goals. Sheffield Wednesday are my boyhood club and that will never change, so it’s nice for me to go back there.

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“It’s going to be a fun for me – although I’m not expecting the greatest reception when I enter the pitch! That’s all part of the theatre, bit I’ll only be concentrating on trying to make sure we can end on a real high.

“I’m looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces on Saturday before doing my best to produce a performance that I – and all our fans – can be proud of.”

After a slow start to his Pompey career, Hirst has acquitted himself well in the second half of the season. He has bagged 14 goals, including four in his last five appearances.

Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley has spoken of his desire to bring Hirst back to Fratton Park next year. “I’ve loved every minute of my time here and there’s one game left, so I’m just thinking