Andy Irving has earned his first-ever call-up to the senior Scotland national team.
In what has been a whirlwind few weeks, Irving turned down a potential loan move to Celtic and made his Premier League debut after being relatively unknown just a season ago.
The West Ham midfielder now finds himself in former Hammers assistant Steve Clarke’s 23-man squad for Scotland’s upcoming UEFA Nations League A Group 1 matches against Croatia and Portugal during the October international break.
Irving could make his international debut in Croatia, when Scotland will face the hosts on Saturday.
A product of the Scottish youth system, Irving has previously represented Scotland at multiple youth levels. He signed for The Irons last season and was not even given an official reveal by the club before being shipped out on loan to Klagenfurt in Austria. He won’t be completely unknown to Scottish fans having played for Hearts, However most of his appearances at Tynecastle outside the SPL and in an empty stadium due to the pandemic lockdown.
After making his Premier League breakthrough this season with West Ham, Irving’s call-up to the senior national team is a major milestone. It also validates his decision to stay with West Ham, where he impressed manager Julen Lopetegui during preseason and fought his way into the first team.