Midfielder could not believe West Ham wanted to sign him with ‘surreal’ transfer a ‘no-brainer’

There are, occasionally, transfers absolutely no one sees coming. Such as the deal Premier League outfit West Ham United did, under the cover of relative anonymity, during the summer of 2023.

This was a deal even the player himself could not envisage.

During a window in which West Ham United offered James Ward-Prowse the chance to boost his England chances, rewarded Konstantinos Mavropanos for his progress at Stuttgart, and elevated Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez out of the Eredivisie, the London Stadium also became home to a little-known Scot who had spent the previous two seasons in Austria and Germany’s third tier.

By his own admission, Andy Irving did not see this coming.

Delving a little further in pursuit of bargain buys, West Ham secured what Tim Steidten felt was a ‘no-risk’ £3 million deal with Austria Klagenfurt.

Two years on, and as the Hammers faithful take cult hero Irving to their hearts, the former Scotland Under-21 international can only look back with bemusement and reflect on a transfer so low-profile and so out of left-field the club did not even announce it on their official media channels.

Andy Irving reflects on shock West Ham United transfer

Speaking to West Ham’s website as he celebrates his 25th birthday, Irving describes the opportunity which came his way as one he simply could not allow to slip through his fingers.

“I’d had a good first season at Austria Klagenfurt, but I didn’t expect a club like West Ham to come calling,” Irving admits. “It was a no-brainer to come to a club the size of West Ham.

“And from that point on, when I signed, it was probably in the back of my head that I wanted to come here and actually be a part of the squad. That was always my aim.