During the pre-season, Andy Irving gave some impressive performances for West Ham who started to adapt under new manager Julen Lopetegui. Irving's passing and playmaking attracted interest from a few clubs around Europe, however, West Ham made the decision to keep him at the club. Although that decision left several West Ham fans wondering at the end of the transfer window, the 24-year-old box-to-box midfielder could be in line for more playing time in the upcoming Premier League matches.
A few weeks ago, Irving made his Premier League debut coming as a second half substitute against Chelsea, and provided more control and composure to the midfield. Further Irving again played a decent role in the midfield against Brentford with his continuous attempts to create some good chances in the attack. Irving's recent impressive performances were rewarded with a call-up from the Scotland national team for the UEFA Nations League matches.
Manager Julen Lopetegui heaps praise on 24-year-old promising midfielder
Also, with Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez struggling with pace and form at the beginning of the season, manager Julen Lopetegui can play Irving as a box-to-box pivot alongside Tomas Soucek and Carlos Soler in the midfield. Before the Ipswich Town match, Lopetegui heaped praise on the 24-year-old promising midfielder, saying,
"All of the dressing room loves him so we are very happy, he deserves the Scotland call-up. 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."Julen Lopetegui
While Irving has great game awareness and his passing and technical ability are brilliant, the Scotland midfielder needs to work on his physicality to become a regular starter in the Premier League. On top of that, if Irving improves his ball winning ability and defending, he could be a great long-term replacement for experienced midfielder Tomas Soucek.