Andy Irving’s time at West Ham United was always likely to be a fleeting one, based on his recent comments.
Midfielder Irving left West Ham to join Sparta Prague back in January after making only 18 appearances for the Hammers following a move from Austria Klagenfurt in 2023.
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Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Republic of Ireland
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Indeed, Irving left West Ham so he could play more first team football as he looks to book himself a spot in Scotland’s squad for the 2026 World Cup later this summer.
Now, he’s revealed that leaving the Hammers was always on his mind.
Irving explains his mindset at West Ham United
Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, the midfielder admitted that the idea of leaving east London was always playing on his mind.
“It was always in the back of my head that I would probably have to make a jump from West Ham at some point,” he said.
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“It was important to get me playing. I knew I would then be in a better position to be called up regularly. Ultimately, it’s for myself as well. I want to be playing football and challenging myself every week. There is no better feeling than a game every week when you know you will be involved, as any player will tell you.”
That is not particularly surprising. Though the West Ham midfield hardly covered itself in glory during his time at the club, it was always going to be difficult for him to establish himself.
As soon as Nuno Espirito Santo started playing Mateus Fernandes alongside Tomas Soucek in a two-man central midfield, Irving’s chances of appearing looked even more remote.
Andrew Irving during AZ Alkmaar v AC Sparta Praha - UEFA Conference League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg
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Irving’s struggles at Sparta Prague
Moving to Czechia was an interesting step in what has already been a nomadic career for the 25-year-old.
A product of the Hearts academy, he’s already played in the lower levels of the German and Austrian leagues.
It remains to be seen if he can reach the World Cup with his country but he will need to improve on one of his recent performances.
Following Sparta’s defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League round of 16 earlier this month, Irving was widely criticised by the Czech press.
Frankly, Irving never looked good enough to play regularly for West Ham, but it would be nice to see a reasonably young British player build his career elsewhere after a complicated journey.
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