This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
There was a time – late 2022 – when Birmingham City midfielder George Hall’s name appeared alongside Leeds United, Liverpool, and other Premier League sides, with TEAMtalk reporting that Leeds were closest to his signature.
Yet successive seasons peppered by hamstring and ankle problems have halted that momentum, including a four-month spell on the sidelines whilst Hall was on loan at Walsall.
Speaking to Express & Star in April, Hall admitted the stop-start nature of his rehabilitation forced him to become “mentally stronger.” Now 21, he made 17 appearances in League One for the Saddlers last season and scored two goals.
George Hall’s Walsall league stats, as per FotMob
Appearances
17
Goals
2
Assists
2
Shots on target
5
Chances created
8
Birmingham City need to send George Hall out on loan this window
FLW’s resident bluenose, Jason Moore, has delivered a clear message ahead of the 25/26 season – George Hall must leave St. Andrew’s on loan if he is to revive a career repeatedly derailed by injury.
With Hall facing a somewhat uncertain future under Chris Davies, Jason told FLW: “There’s a real player in there and injuries have scuppered him and hindered his chances at us, and we probably won’t keep him at the club this summer in terms of playing capacity but I think there’s still a player there.”
“If he’s not going to go out permanently, he’s definitely, definitely got to go out on loan and go and play some real minutes in the men’s game and hopefully it’s at League One instead of League Two as it’s a decent standard, Moore added.
Birmingham inserted a playing-time trigger in Hall’s Walsall deal last season, leading to his omission versus Doncaster as part of a pre-agreed conditioning schedule.
As per a FLW exclusive, Blues would consider a nominal fee for their 22/23 Young Player of the Year, if it was protected by a sell-on clause.
George Hall needs to “trust his body” if he goes out on loan
Chris Davies’ promotion-chasing Blues now boast a crowded midfield after eight summer signings (disregarding Taylor Gardner-Hickman), so with Hall returning from a temporary League Two loan, it’s hard to see him get any minutes at all.
Moore thinks Hall still has the ability to play in the second-tier, but reiterates his injury struggles, “I wouldn’t even be opposed to him going out on loan to a Championship club if they can give him minutes,” he said.
It’s worth a reminder that Hall played 30 Championship games as an 18-year-old under now-Derby County boss John Eustace, which led to top-flight clubs reportedly close to luring him away from the West Midlands.
“But that’s the key thing – he’s got to go out on loan and he’s got to get minutes, and he’s got to trust his body and find the form that shows the player that Blues fans know he is and why the club rate him so highly,” Moore concluded.
After just 313 League Two minutes before his injury last December, it is quite evident Hall should find a club prepared to build around him – as regular playing time will obviously help his confidence massively.
Birmingham do face a rather tough choice though. They could cash in now or send Hall on loan to try and inflate his value – after all, Walsall reportedly want him on a permanent deal after his encouraging late-season cameo.
With the summer window closing in one month, and Hall’s contract up in 2026, this period will likely define his future prospects, and, as Moore stated, he’ll need to “trust his body” if he really wants to play for Blues again.
Related
Exclusive: Birmingham City player set to leave St Andrew’s to seal Walsall transfer
Walsall are set to sign George Hall on a permanent transfer from Birmingham City, FLW understands.