Hearts have struggled in recent weeks and the international break arrived at precisely the right time for Steven Naismith to gather his thoughts and regroup with his team.
Despite a strong start to the season, which saw the Jambos win three of their first five matches, including a stunning victory over Rosenborg in the Europa Conference League qualifying tie.
Yet, their form since the win over Partick Thistle in the League Cup has been patchy to say the least as they have struggled to recapture their early success.
Naismith has led the club to wins over Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, and Ross County, yet they led arch rivals Hibernian 2-0 with just 25 minutes left before the Easter Road outfit pegged them back to secure a draw.
Star striker Lawrence Shankland is also going through a goal drought, having not scored since the 2-1 defeat to PAOK back in August and this is certainly depriving the side of goals.
The Scotsman ended last season having scored 28 goals across all competitions and with five goals in his first six games this term, it looked like he could even surpass the 28-goal mark.
The Tynecastle side also lost a key goalscoring threat in Josh Ginnelly during the summer. The winger joined Swansea City for nothing after his contract expired at Hearts, as he turned down an improved offer from the Premiership side.
He contributed with 13 goals and seven assists last season, and it is yet another transfer howler by Hearts, letting a wonderful player depart for nothing.
It is not the first time this has happened, however, with a player who left the club on a free transfer back in the summer of 2021 recently signing for West Ham United – Andy Irving.
How many appearances did Andy Irving make for Hearts?
The midfielder made his way through the academy at Hearts before making his first team debut during the 2017/18 season having impressed while out on loan at Berwick Rangers – scoring twice and grabbing an assist in 11 matches – and he made six appearances for the Jambos.
Irving then spent half a term on loan at Falkirk before finally breaking into the starting XI at the Edinburgh side ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
He made 27 appearances that term, grabbing two goals and three assists, and it represented a solid start to his Jambos career, despite their eventual relegation to the Championship.
It was in the second tier where he shone however, featuring in 23 league matches, registering nine goal contributions as the club secured promotion at the first time of asking.
Following these excellent performances in the second tier, it was clear he was ready to impress in the Premiership yet just when it looked like he was about to showcase his true potential for the club, he left following the expiration of his contract to join German third tier side Türkgücü Munich in what looked like a strange move.
Hearts loss was their gain however, with their sporting director Roman Plesche saying: "With his good physique, his extraordinary left foot and also his ability to steer a game, Andy already brings some important components to his game at the age of 21.”
During his spell at Hearts, Irving made 61 appearances for the club, and losing him two years ago certainly looks like a howler considering his current career trajectory.
What happened to Andy Irving?
His spell in Germany didn’t exactly go as expected, with the midfielder scoring just once across 23 appearances in the third tier and the move was looking even more strange.
After just one season at Türkgücü Munich, Irving joined Austrian side SK Austria Klagenfurt in the summer of 2022 and the move has revitalised his career.
The former Hearts gem played 34 games across all competitions during his maiden season and ended up scoring six times and grabbing nine assists in what appeared to be a breakthrough season for the midfielder and this attracted interest from abroad.
His form in the current season led John Walker, who runs the Scots Abroad Twitter page, to laud the 23-year-old, saying: “Deadline Day Rumour.
“Andy Irving will complete a move to Premier League side West Ham Utd.
“23yo, Andy Irving, is one of the best performing Austrian Bundesliga midfielders (5⚽️& 5🅰️ in last 10 apps) just now.
“Expected to rejoin Klagenfurt on-loan this season.”
The rumour turned out to be true as Irving moved to the Premier League side in a deal believed to worth seven figures and it represents a major achievement for a player who was plying his trade in the second tier in Scotland just over three years ago.
How good is Andy Irving?
The midfielder has already notched four goals and four assists over just 12 matches for the Austrian side so far this season, and it looks as though he could be a worthy addition to the West Ham squad.
Indeed, across the current Klagenfurt squad in the league this term, he currently ranks second for goals and assists (six) while also ranking second for shots on target per game (0.7), first for big chances created (three), third for key passes per game (1.1) and third for tackles per game (1.5), indicating how impressive he has been over a wide range of performance metrics.
Another season in Austria will do the youngster the world of good as he gears up to play in the English top flight from the 2024/25 campaign.
61
5
48
10
27
1
21
0
16
2
Naismith could benefit from having a player contributing these types of numbers to his current squad, and it represents a big transfer howler letting Irving go for nothing two years ago.
Of course, this is not the first time it has happened, and it probably will not be the last, yet Irving’s recent success should be a warning sign to Naismith that he must tie down his most important players to long-term contracts, otherwise he risks the same thing happening in the future.
David Moyes has the eyes for a talented player and Irving will be hoping to repay back his faith when he arrives in England next summer.