FORMER Swindon Town striker Harry McKirdy has revealed his summer transfer to Hibernian almost didn’t go through as the Robins missed the initial deadline to complete their paperwork.

McKirdy eventually ended up signing for the Scottish Premiership club on a long-term contract, but the move to Edinburgh may have never happened, with Championship side Birmingham City also having made a late bid for the striker.

READ: McKirdy signs for Hibs after deal almost collapses.

In a highly-entertaining and wide-ranging interview with McKirdy, the Lower League Look asked the maverick forward about a chaotic transfer-deadline-day switch.

McKirdy said: “The night before, the bid had been accepted and all the terms were done. I was expecting to get on the 7am flight. I woke up at 5, expecting a text from my agent. Woke up at 5, nothing.

“Expected to fly at 11, hearing nothing. He’s like “something’s happened.” He said: “get on the 3 o’clock flight. Got on the flight and landed at 4. They said: “just wait there and we should know what’s going on.”

“I remember being there for hours and then hearing stuff about Birmingham possibly bidding. I’m thinking, “Where would you rather go?”

“Then it was up in the air with Birmingham, and I remember thinking ‘I could miss out on both here.’ It got to about 9 o’clock, I got picked up, and I went to Hibs.

“I was told “Birmingham could still happen; they are happy for you to not do a medical.” But I decided to go with Hibs it seemed like the right thing to do.”

Although Birmingham were out of the equation for McKirdy, the drama was not yet over for a man who seems to bring chaos wherever he ventures.

McKirdy continued: “I did the medical, thought I’d signed. I rang my parents, a couple of friends, said it was all done. I was buzzing.

“And then it got to about half an hour after the window had shut and Hibs said: “Swindon have missed the deadline, so we’ve got to appeal to FIFA.”

“FIFA decide what happens. There are three options, you’ve either signed and you can play, you’ve signed but you can’t play until January, or the transfer has fallen through.

“So there was a day after – even though it had been announced – where it still hadn’t gone through and I didn’t know what was going to happen.

“But I remember being in the hotel on the Saturday, buzzing for the game, and Lee Johnson rang me saying welcome and that it had all gone through.”