Hirst On Group Fitness Sessions, Catching Up On TV Series & Settling In At City

- Young Leicester City striker George Hirst speaks to LCFC TV during a break in football due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The Development Squad star is following Government guidelines to remain at home
- Hirst reveals how City's Under-23s squad are taking part in group fitness sessions online to stay in peak condition
- He also discusses how easy it was to settle in at the Club following his transfer last summer

Following the suspension of English football, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the Club's age groups have been following Government guidelines to remain at home. 

For a young footballer more accustomed to training every weekday, it can be a challenge, but Hirst, 21, says staying in touch with his team-mates and sticking to a fitness plan is helping.

"I’ve been doing as good as anyone can I reckon," the Under-23s' top goalscorer told LCFC TV this week. "Obviously, I’m just trying to stay fit and stay motivated, which is probably the hardest thing.   

"For example, this morning, we had a little Under-23s group chat call, where Chevo (Michael Cheverton), the sports scientist, took us for a little session, getting a little bit of a sweat on.

"That then obviously helps to get all the lads together then so you can have a little chat with each other and see how each other’s getting on.

"I think that can get you into a routine and whether that’s waking up and having a coffee at a set time every morning or whatever, then I think that just helps get through."

Despite only joining the Foxes last summer, Hirst has settled in quickly, becoming a vital - and popular - member of the Club's Under-23s squad, who sit second in Premier League 2 Division 1 at present.

"Obviously, being involved in a sport and in a job where you’re seeing your colleagues every single day, you become close with a lot of your colleagues," he added.

"Then going to not seeing them at all can be quite a weird transition, but [we're] even just jumping on FaceTime to a couple of the lads for five minutes here and there.

"Boys my age play a lot of PlayStation and stuff like that, so we get to have a little catch-up on that, which is always nice. It’s just keeping everybody else motivated and ticking along.

"My first season here has been brilliant. To go and score as many goals as I’ve scored and to help the team get up the table, has been brilliant.

"I’ve said to the lads, from two or three months in, I feel like I’ve been at Leicester for years, which can only be a good thing.

"I settled in really well and everyone at the Club has taken to me really well and vice versa, so I’m enjoying it and I’m just looking forward to getting back there now."

Aside from maintaining his fitness, Hirst has also been one of many Leicester players to use his free time catching up with TV boxsets - and he has some recommendations for the Blue Army.

"If anyone’s after a box set, I think I’ve watched pretty much all of them at this point!" the young striker continued. "I’ve just jumped on The Blacklist, actually. That’s my next one.

"I even got so far as watching Friends, from the start to the finish, just because of the number of episodes and it was just an easy one to watch.

"Jumping on the PlayStation and trying to find new films and Netflix series to watch is getting a little bit more difficult every day, so I’ll have to go and do a little bit more running!"

On the Government's guidelines - designed to protect the NHS and save lives - Hirst underlined the importance of continuing to follow them during this period.

"I think it’s absolutely vital," he said. "Especially, as a footballer, your job is outdoors, your job is out there, whether it’s rainy and windy, you love being outdoors.

"So, to stay inside, like you’ve got to do at the minute, is difficult, but I think it’s absolutely crucial that everybody does it. The more people who do it, the quicker we can get back out there.

"There’s people on the frontline of the NHS, or people who work in the supermarkets, and they’re working there so that our lives are as easy as possible at home.

"If they all stopped working and doing what they need to do, then we’d be in a lot more trouble than we already are, so I think it’s absolutely crucial that everybody just stays at home.

"Follow all the guidelines as closely as you can."