Grimsby Town have completed the signing of midfielder Alex Hunt from Sheffield Wednesday on a three-year deal, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2025.
The 22-year-old originally joined the Mariners last summer on a six-month loan, making an impressive impact during his 19 appearances in all competitions before moving on to Oldham Athletic for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.
Hunt was a standout apprentice, organising charity work as Under-18s captain, achieving D*D*D* on the Extended Diploma, being selected in LFE’s ‘The 11’ and earning a nomination for the LFE Championship Apprentice of the Year, losing out to Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon.
Having featured on 17 occasions for the Owls, Hunt will now make a new start at Blundell Park in Sky Bet League Two.
He told Grimsby’s website: “I’m absolutely over the moon! It’s been in the pipeline for a long time and it has been stressful getting it over the line in the end, but I can’t wait to put on the shirt again and get going.
“The club getting promotion was unbelievable really. I loved my time here and obviously, it was a main attraction in coming back. I met some really good people here and have kept in touch with a lot of the lads. I went to the Notts County game and to show the spirit and fight that the lads did throughout the playoffs and the whole season sums up the squad as a whole really.
“Keeping the squad together is a testament to the coaching staff and the owners of what they’re building here as well. A club that is going in the right direction and I am sure that all the fans and people around the place can see and feel that as well.
“I can’t wait for Saturday. Hopefully I can get out on the pitch again and show the fans what I am about for the second time round and I am sure that we will have a great following as always!”
Manager Paul Hurst added: “I’m devastated that we have finally got it done, I will miss his messages to see if anything has been sorted! No, but seriously he had a very enjoyable and successful time with us.
“It was a shame that he couldn’t have been with us when we did finally get promoted, because I think the way that he bought into the club and the way that we work, he was very popular within the group and I am pleased that we have finally got this done.
“It has been a long process. The player, in fairness to him, has been desperate to come back and join back up with us, this time permanently and I am really looking forward to getting him back and introduced to the group, obviously there are a few new faces for him to get to know, but it will be great to have him back here.
“It has always been on the cards and at various points, it looked like things could have happened and then they weren’t and then they were again! It has been right down to the last day of the window, a long drawn-out process but the important thing is that it is done now. He is going to be our player for some time now hopefully and I am sure he will enjoy being back here in a League above with us.
“It’s still a challenge with Alex, there are no guarantees about that, but we know he is a good footballer and hopefully, he can show everybody and remind them again what a good player he is.”
