Hornby completes move to Ligue 1

I've not really followed his career but heard his name mentioned a few times and it always sounded positive. What's the bet we see this guy signing for Chelsea in 3 years for £50M?

As a striker, he's not Premier League standard but, at 20, he's got time to improve.

He's more of a target man in the mould of Calvert-Lewin, only slower with less ability. I see him behind Tarashaj, the Swiss lad who it appears we are also getting shut of, albeit in another year.

Good move for him, he needs 2 or 3 years to find his level and then he may be back in the Championship or Scottish Premier League.

Hornby is not a striker. I know people liked to go on about Calvert-Lewin being a converted striker and saying he's not natural, well I doubt those people have seen Hornby.

The lad played midfield and suddenly had a massive growth spurt and became a tall lad. He scored a few goals from midfield and with his new frame it was thought he could be a target man.

He was decent in the air at that level and his link-up play was decent. He could win the ball and hold it up and lay it off into midfield, like Duncan would have taught him.

The problem is, he's just not a penalty box attacker. He didn't have a clue where to run and was always in the wrong place.

He did keep scoring, but if they weren't with his head then they were from outside the box, ie, a midfielder's goal. Which is what got him noticed. Such as the spectacular brace for Scotland U21.

The bottom line is, he was never prolific, even in a very good title-winning side, and he was never going to make the step up.

If the lad does make it, and I hope he does, then it'll be because he dropped back into midfield and played to his strengths. Perhaps he could model his game on Fellaini.

Alex,

About a million to one. He scored for the Scotland Under-21s then started talking himself up in The Echo. He's an awkwardly built, okish midfielder. Championship at best.

Ha ha, sounds like we’ve made a steal then. :-)

A good summary, Steve, says it all really. The switch from midfield was a decent gamble to make and just may have enabled him to make a career in football, but never looked like coming off last season when he and Sambou missed far too many chances.

Good luck to him, I was worried he was going to come back and block chances for Simms and Dobbin.

Good luck to him.