George Earthy has started just two games for Bristol City having returned to Ashton Gate on loan from West Ham this winter
14:00, 19 Mar 2026
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West Ham United loanee, George Earthy, in action for Bristol City(Image: Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Gerhard Struber says he wants to provide George Earthy with the platform to show his importance to Bristol City in the "next few games," as he explained the West Ham loanee's limited game-time as of late.
Having returned to Ashton Gate on loan from the Hammers in January, after a successful spell in the West Country last season, Earthy has been unable to hold down a consistent place in the Robins' starting line-up and has been used sparingly from the bench.
At the time of writing, the 21-year-old has started just twice in the Championship and made a further five appearances from the bench in all competitions. Earthy was also left out of the Reds' matchday squad, when fit, against Wrexham last month, and has been an unused substitute on five occasions, including both of City's last two matches.
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The loanee's reduced involvement in recent weeks has coincided with the deadline day arrival of Tomi Horvat and Scott Twine's best Championship season, in front of goal.
Naturally, that has made it tough for Earthy to climb the pecking order, but Struber is keen to afford him greater opportunities on either side of the March international break, having previously been disappointed to learn the attacking midfielder wasn't City's player.
"I think this is, of course, not such an easy topic," the head coach told Bristol Live when asked about the attacking midfielder's recent role. "Of course, we brought Tomi Horvat in, and we have Twine normally.
"Twiney is also a player who has, I would say, a really good scoring list - he's one of the best scorers in our team - so for Earthy, it is not so easy for George that he is, in the end, a player next to them, at the moment.
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"Tomi has a really big influence, Twiney is really reliable to score goals, but of course, I want to bring him in the next few games, a little bit more in game-time [so] that he can show also how important and also how good he can be for us."
Earthy's first spell at Ashton Gate could almost be split into distinct halves. Prior to the Robins' home win over Middlesbrough, when the West Ham prospect scored twice, the attacking midfielder found himself in and out of the team, with the majority of his starts coming at wing-back.
After that brace against Boro, however, the 21-year-old began to find his footing in the Championship. He scored once more, a leveller against Queens Park Rangers, and started five of City's last seven league games, as well as the second leg of the Reds' play-off semi-final defeat to Sheffield United, on his way to the club's 'Young Player of the Season' award.
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Ultimately, as he aims to ensure that his second stint as a Robin is remembered as fondly as his first, it is in his final third where Earthy needs to continue to progress to leapfrog the likes of Horvat and Twine between now and the end of the campaign.
Asked what the Hammers loanee could do to increase his game-time, Struber replied, "It's, of course, a little bit the end product - so scorer moments.
"When he plays in the 10, of course, he should be a player who brings us, in the end, something where we can speak about goals or final passes. In this direction, he can do better.
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"At the same time, of course, without the rhythm, without the game-time that he wants, to make the steps, it's also not so easy."
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