Hull City chief Grant McCann allows Andy Smith to join Salford City

HULL CITY defender Andy Smith has joined Salford City on a season-long loan.
Grant McCann.Grant McCann.
Grant McCann.

Speaking late last week, Tigers head coach Grant McCann confirmed that Smith, who turns 20 next month, raised the prospect of Smith and some other young players being loaned out with ahead of the transfer deadline.

Smith made his debut in the EFL Trophy at the start of 2021 and came on as a substitute in the recent Carabao Cup game with Wigan.

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On some emerging Hull players being loaned out, McCann said: “There is a possibility and maybe one or two might want to go and play some football, particularly some the younger ones, I would say.

“There has been a lot of interest in people like Harry Wood, Andy Smith and Harvey Cartwright – young boys who are ready now to go and play in League One or League Two in our opinion.

“They are excellent young players.

“There has been quite a bit of interest. But as I always say, we don’t send them to clubs just for the sake of it. We have to understand the manager and how they play and if they are going to fit that system and get game time.

“We will see if anything materalises between now and Tuesday. But ideally, we’d like to get those young players some game time. It is about the right place and environment.”

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Hull are also open to the prospect of Tom Eaves departing ahead of the deadline, with some League One clubs being interested.

On the striker, who was not involved at the weekend, McCann, speaking after the draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, said: "There’s interest in him, of course there is.

"At the minute he’s our player, and if the window shuts and he’s still here then Tom will be very much a part of us.

"We love him as a person, we love him as a player.

"Obviously he’s had a tough time of it with injuries and a lack of game time last season which probably lead to this, with the form of Magennis, Wilks, Keane – I’ve got to be fair to people and tell them where we are and then it’s down to them to fight their way back in."

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