West Ham’s Andy Irving has explained why he rejected a move to Wrexham during the summer transfer window after choosing to stay and fight for his place in the Premier League
A Premier League star has broken his silence on why he snubbed a move to Wrexham this summer. West Ham midfielder Andy Irving was linked with the Red Dragons towards the end of the transfer window.
However, a deal for the £3.5million-rated player failed to materialise after the 25-year-old reportedly rejected the switch. Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, embarked on a £33m spending spree during the window after being promoted to the Championship in April.
The Welsh side managed to secure 13 new signings in total, but the Scotland international was one who slipped through the net. Irving chose to stay with the Hammers despite also receiving interest from Celtic and Rangers.
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He has now revealed his reasons for remaining at the London Stadium after voicing his determination to establish himself in the top flight. “There was a lot of speculation and media [during the summer], but ultimately for me, I’m in a good place here at West Ham,” Irving said.
“I really enjoy it here, so I was keen to stay and continue giving my best for the club, and I believe that I’ll have another progressive year here, and I’ll benefit a lot from it. I really enjoy the work that we put in here, and I really enjoy the role that I have within the squad on and off the pitch.”
Irving was signed by former West Ham boss and compatriot David Moyes from Austria Klagenfurt on transfer deadline day in September 2023. He was initially loaned back to the Austrian Bundesliga outfit, before making 10 Premier League appearances during the 2024/25 season.
He has so far been named on the bench for each of the Hammers’ opening three league games this term, coming on twice as a substitute. Despite the lack of minutes, Irving insists he remains hopeful of working his way into manager Graham Potter‘s plans.
“It can be tough [not starting games],” he said. “I think there are periods that you go through when it can be difficult. Every day you’re going out to training with the focus on the weekend.
“You’re working towards the game, and everyone wants to play. It can be tough when you’re maybe not getting the number of starts you desire, but I always believe that things can take time.
“I’m in my second year now, so I feel a lot more comfortable, and I’ve got a bit more of a stand within the squad and within the environment, so I think that helps. Of course it can be difficult mentally.
“But your focus has to be on what you can control, which is by working hard and training well every day, and every time you get on the pitch, whether it’s for 10 minutes, 30 minutes or starting, you can only give your best. You’ve got to take it and try and impress in that time, and I’ve tried to do that all the time since I arrived here.”
While Wrexham missed out on Irving, manager Phil Parkinson did manage to land another midfielder on transfer deadline day. Ben Sheaf was signed from Coventry City in a deal reportedly worth £6.5m.
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Parkinson said this week that he is looking forward to seeing the 27-year old in action and he could feature in their next Championship fixture at home against QPR on Saturday. Speaking to The Leader newspaper, he said: “Ben’s a class player and I’m looking forward to working with him.
“He’s someone we’ve been looking at for a while and like ever, negotiations can drag out. It wasn’t really until the Friday [before the window closed] that we felt we could start progressing the deal, but it’s a new challenge for him after being at Coventry for several years.”
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