Not so long ago, former West Ham midfielder Jack Collison labelled George Earthy as the Hammers ‘mini Mark Noble’ with good reason. Earthy had just made his full debut in March 2024, and after the massive concussion suffered within minutes of taking to the pitch in his first Premier League game, Earthy returned the next game to grab his debut goal. Everything looked rosy for Earthy, the young [Hammer of the Year](https://www.claretandhugh.info/earthy-kicks-on-from-injury-and-into-england-squad/) 2022-3.
Much has been written about Freddie Potts’ successful loan at Championship side Portsmouth: Even now, the south coast side hope to retain his services whilst Potts is desperate to force his way back into Graham Potter’s thinking. But what of Freddie’s former team mate George Earthy? He was dispatched on a season-long loan by Lopetegui in August to Bristol City where he has endured a pretty challenging season.
Struggling for game time as a midfielder, Earthy spent the first part of the season recuperating from injury and then found himself used as an emergency wing-back: Only in February did the young Hammer create news when he came off the bench to score two goals and give his Bristol City side the win against Middlesborough.
Mysteriously, Earthy had to withdraw from his England call-up to the elite development squad earlier this month, and apparently returned to West Ham for scans. According to Bristol Manager Liam Manning in the [_bristolpost.co.uk:_](https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/george-earthy-injury-update-issued-10056832?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target)
_“He went back to West Ham, he had a scan, he reported, went up to St George’s Park and they had a look at him. He came back, missed a few days training but was then back in this week.”_
For the record, Earthy played for half an hour as a ‘City substitute in the 0-1 loss at Burnley yesterday so it would appear the ‘mystery’ injury is behaving itself. Earthy will be desperate to kick on in the last quarter of the season and press his way back into Graham Potter’s thinking: Freddie Potts is not the only one with a West Ham career on his mind.