Julen Lopetegui will be pleased after his West Ham side continued their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday (20 July).
The Hammers began the week with a last-gasp 2-2 draw with Ferencvaros, with Danny Ings and Nayef Aguerd battling back to avoid a defeat in Austria.
Though fans will not be getting too far ahead of themselves after just two friendly matches, many were excited to see 24-year-old Andy Irving in the second-half lineup.
The former Scotland youth international arrived at the London Stadium last summer from SK Austria Klagenfurt before immediately being loaned back.
Without a single Hammers appearance to his name yet, fans are excited to see what the midfielder can bring to the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, and they will be even more so after his display on Saturday.
The midfielder was spotted alongside his new teammates via the club’s official website [West Ham United], sending fans into overdrive about what it could mean for his future.
Irving took no time in attempting to impress, firing home the only goal of the match against Dagenham & Redbridge from outside the box
Lopetegui’s midfield is probably one of the biggest concerns heading into next season, not because of the lack of quality, but rather the lack of depth.
With Edson Alvarez’s injury [Knees Up Mother Brown], Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse are the only two senior options for the Spaniard right now. Unless Lopetegui wants to take a punt on an academy star, or the club sanction a new signing, Irving could be the ideal fix.
The 24-year-old has impressed in multiple leagues, albeit at a much lower standard than the Premier League, his experiences in Austria, with Hearts in Scotland and even Turkgucu Munchen in Germany, he looks to be a solid backup choice.
If he can pull off any more of those goals during the upcoming campaign, his status among the passionate fans will only rise further.
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