Capitalising on Hull City situation would give David Artell perfect Grimsby Town reunion | OneFootball

Former Grimsby loanee Andy Smith is well down the pecking order at Hull City, and a January return to the Mariners may suit all parties.

Hull City central defender Andy Smith is a popular figure among Grimsby Town supporters following a successful 18-month loan spell at Blundell Park a couple of years ago. As the 23-year-old continues to find himself out of the first-team picture with the Tigers, the Mariners should, perhaps, look to swoop for a permanent deal in January.

The Banbury-born player has very rarely featured in the matchday squad at the MKM Stadium throughout City's 2024/25 Championship campaign, occasionally making the bench, but playing just 20 minutes of football in total - that coming in an early season EFL Cup defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.

The Tigers, who have recently brought in Rubén Sellés to replace his sacked predecessor, Tim Walter, are currently struggling at the wrong end of the table, and being in such poor form, face a fight to preserve their second-tier status.

In the circumstances, it seems highly unlikely the inexperienced Smith will be thrown in at the deep end of a relegation scrap, and given his age, a move to secure regular gametime at another club may be the most beneficial option at this point.

Sellés is likely to want reinforcements of his own next month to help the Tigers' cause, and freeing up some funds by moving on fringe players is almost certainly a priority in the coming weeks. Therefore, Smith may be seeking pastures new, and a return to a familiar stomping ground could be a very real possibility.

Smith and Cameron Mcjannet could form ideal defensive pairing for Artell and Grimsby

Left-sided centre-back Cameron McJannet has been superb since his summer arrival from League of Ireland outfit Derry City.

Calm, assured, and happy to receive the ball under pressure, the former Stoke City youngster is an ideal fit for manager David Artell's possession-based style that has been implemented with some success thus far.

Alongside the 26-year-old, Harvey Rodgers has looked much improved of late following a difficult first year at Blundell Park. Halfway through his three-year deal with the club, the former Accrington man and colleague Doug Tharme add physicality and depth to Artell's defensive options.

However, while both are important members of the Mariners' squad, they're perhaps not as comfortable on the ball as Smith, who would be seen as an upgrade in that department.

The thought of having a defensive pairing of Smith and McJannet is an exciting one. Both good readers of the game – composed, and comfortable with the ball at their feet.

If the opportunity to bring in the Hull man is genuine and affordable, it's one not to be missed as the Mariners' boss continues to improve and evolve his squad.

Location and past success favour Grimsby's possible pursuit of defender

23-year-old Smith spent 17 months on loan at Blundell Park between January 2022 and May 2023, and played a key role in the Mariners' success in that time.

Initially joining a Grimsby side in the National League, the youngster formed a well-balanced defensive pairing with the experienced Luke Waterfall, a partnership that ultimately provided the foundations for play-off success and a return to the EFL that summer.

Smith would quickly rejoin for the following campaign at the higher level and again acquitted himself well as he and his teammates achieved a top-half finish on their return to League Two, and embarked on an incredible run to the FA Cup Quarter-Final.

The Tigers' defender made 67 appearances in total during that time and had hoped to kick on and become a regular member of the first team at Hull on the back of it.

That hasn't transpired for one reason or another, but Smith needs to start playing regularly again to kick-start a promising career. A January reunion with Grimsby might be the best move for all parties.