West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui admitted he was not familiar with midfielder Andy Irving when he took the job in May.
This was a common sentiment among many Scotland fans as well, who were somewhat surprised by Irving's inclusion in the national team squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia and Portugal.
Scots boss Steve Clarke is without several key players for the double header and rewarded the 24-year-old with the opportunity of potentially earning his first senior cap.
Irving signed for West Ham during summer 2023 yet his acquisition mostly went under the radar since the midfielder was immediately loaned back to Austrian outfit SK Klagenfurt for the season.
But the former Heart of Midlothian starlet, who also played in the German third tier with Turkgucu Munchen a couple of years ago, was given the chance to show Lopetegui what he could do throughout pre-season.
The experienced Spanish coach clearly saw potential in Irving and has since included him among his West Ham first team squad plans.
He has made three appearances so far across the English Premier League and EFL Cup, and his gaffers comments during the latest press conference ahead of this weekend’s clash with Ipswich Town suggest the Edinburgh-born prodigy has a bright future at the London Stadium.
“It’s good news for him and good news for the dressing room,” said Hammers boss Lopetegui.
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“All of the dressing room loves him so we are very happy. He deserves it. Hopefully he is going to have more moments with us too because he always works hard.
“He is adapting to the level and the physical demands of the Premier League. I think with the ball, he is a very talented player. For sure, he is going to improve and we are happy for him.
“Technically, he is a very good player. I think that, when he is able to adapt his physical rhythm in the Premier League, he is going to become a very interesting player.”
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