Hiwula boosts Town firepower

Fleetwood Town boss Uwe Rosler continues to tick off his summer shopping targets by securing the services of Huddersfield hotshot Jordy Hiwula on a season-long loan.
Fleetwood's new stirker Jordy Hiwula. Photo credit: Fleetwood Town FCFleetwood's new stirker Jordy Hiwula. Photo credit: Fleetwood Town FC
Fleetwood's new stirker Jordy Hiwula. Photo credit: Fleetwood Town FC

Rosler admitted Town were left a little short as they ended the season with only four senior strikers.

One of those, David Ball, has since left but Town have now followed their swoop for Everton hitman Conor McAleny by signing 22-year-old Hiwula to leave Rosler with the five strikers he feels they need to withstand the sort of injury problems which hampered their flow of goals late last season.

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Hiwula and McAleny will compete with Wes Burns, Devante Cole and Ash Hunter for starting spots on August 5, when Ball returns to Highbury with Rotherham on League One’s opening day.

Hiwula came through the youth ranks at Manchester City, where he was coached by Rosler, before joining the Terriers two years ago.

And Rosler believes the Mancunian will add versatility and bags of League One experience to his front-line.

Hiwula is yet to make his debut for Huddersfield, having been almost continuously out on loan with Wigan, Walsall and last season at Bradford, for whom he netted one of only 20 goals conceded by Town’s clean-sheet machine Alex Cairns.

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Rosler said: “I’m a big fan of him. He can play all the positions up front and is very versatile and dynamic. He has already played over 100 games in our league. We know what we are getting – a player who is pure quality and really wants to put down a marker.”

Rosler is not the only familiar face for Hiwula, who is a friend of Devante Cole and George Glendon from their City days and of Kyle Dempsey, who completed a permanent move from Huddersfield this summer.

The striker said: “It’s good to come into a changing room when you know a few of the players.

“I like to think of myself as a really skilful striker, who likes to take on defenders and always works hard for the team.

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“I know the league really well – I’ve played in League One for three years now (there were loans spells at Walsall and Yeovil while still on City’s books) and I feel like I have gained a lot of experience from that.

“I had a really good spell at Bradford last year and that culminated in reaching the play-off final, but that’s behind me now and I’m focused on doing something special here.”

Town’s summer recruitment drive continues for the development squad too as they snapped up Everton forward Michael Donohue on a two-year deal.

The 19-year-old was among several promising development players who started pre-season training with Rosler’s senior squad.