At Tynecastle, they called him the Portobello Pirlo. The reference point – a high school and seaside Edinburgh suburb rather than a market in London – spoke to Andy Irving’s precocious talent as a 17-year-old first-team debutant.
Scotland’s Under-16 squad for a tournament in Serbia eight years ago included Irving and a host of players who have vanished completely from view. There were fears Irving’s career may wilt. In the summer of 2021, his exit from Hearts was met with shrugs after the club were unwilling to meet wage demands. This felt unsatisfactory; a boyhood supporter of the club, who played not only with grace and a left-footed passing range unusual in Scotland, was bound for Türkgücü München in Germany’s third tier.
