Who is Andy Irving? The story behind Scotland's surprise call-up via Hearts, German third-tier, Alps and EPL

With head coach Steve Clarke facing a number of injury issues - including talismanic Aston Villa man John McGinn - three new faces have been called into the 23-player group for the Nations League games against Croatia and Portugal.

Some fans in this country will already be aware of the 24-year-old former Scotland Under-21 midfielder Irving from his time at Hearts, although the bulk of his games for the Tynecastle outfit came in the Championship and behind closed doors due to Covid.

A technical player, Irving impressed for the Jambos in his three seasons at Tynecastle, but when his contract expired in the summer of 2021, the Edinburgh native decided to try his luck on the continent.

A switch to third-tier German side Turkgucu Munchen raised eyebrows and he spent a season there before moving across the border to Klagenfurt, where he became one of their key players. His form in the 2022/23 season earned him a surprise transfer to West Ham, and he was loaned back to the Austrian side last season and he netted nine times in 28 appearances.

Back at the Hammers this summer, Irving has done enough to force his way into Julen Lopetegui's first-team squad and has appeared as a substitute in all three of West Ham’s past matches. Atalanta and Espanyol were both reported to be interested in him last summer.

Speaking earlier this year, Irving said of his time in Austria: "I've definitely developed a lot over the past two years here, in all aspects. The style here in Austria has allowed me to play as a more attacking midfielder, which has changed my game quite a bit. Since I’ve been here we’ve been pretty successful in reaching the top six both years, which is big for the club. Obviously, being one point off Europe last year was close and we would love to change that this time around.

"It’s not all been rosy since I came abroad but I’ve loved every minute of being abroad with its ups and downs. I have grown massively as a person and as a footballer. The life experience away from the pitch has been amazing, in terms of where I’ve lived, the friends I’ve met and having learnt a new language. When you add in the football side of things, that only adds to the enjoyment I’ve had."

Irving made his West Ham debut against Chelsea last month and said of that moment: “It feels amazing to have made my debut. Since I signed for the club the biggest thing for me was playing in the Premier League for West Ham, so I’m really happy that I’ve been able to do that and that my hard work has paid off.

“I had a good pre-season, and my aim was to be in and around it when we got to the end of the transfer window. I had the choice to maybe go somewhere else, but my conversations with Julen Lopetegui and the other coaches were really positive.

“I’ve put in a lot of work, and I wanted to stay and show what I can do. It was good to get on against Chelsea; it’s just a shame about the result on the day because it was disappointing for everyone.”

He now could make his debut for Scotland in what has been a steep rise for the 24-year-old.