Former Hibs striker McKirdy retires at 29

What the report says

Former Hibernian, Swindon Town and Crawley Town striker Harry McKirdy has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 29, BBC Sport Football reported. The move came after he was released by Crawley at the end of last season, ending a senior career that spanned 10 years and included spells in England and Scotland.

According to the BBC, McKirdy said on Instagram that he was stepping away after 14 years in full-time football. He described the decision as difficult but said he felt settled and had no regrets about leaving the game early. The report did not indicate any immediate plans for what he will do next.

McKirdy came through the youth systems at Stoke City and Aston Villa and made his senior debut while on loan at Stevenage in 2016. He later had loan spells at Crewe Alexandra and Newport County before leaving Aston Villa in 2019. He went on to play for Carlisle United and Port Vale, then had a standout spell at Swindon Town, where he was named in the League Two team of the season after scoring 24 goals in all competitions in 2021-22.

BBC Sport also noted that McKirdy joined Hibernian in 2022, where he did not score in 33 appearances and had heart surgery during his time in Scotland. He later returned to Swindon on loan, had a brief spell with Bromley and then joined Crawley in 2025, scoring eight goals in 33 games. His retirement closes a career that produced 56 goals in 225 senior matches.