Since leaving his boyhood club Heart of Midlothian FC in the Scottish capital, Andy Irving has become one of a relatively small number of British footballers to play their trade abroad. After a spell in Bavaria, Andy joined SK Austria Klagenfurt, where he quickly became a regular starter in one of the league’s most exciting sides.
Bundesliga-Journal: Andy, you’re only 22 now, but how did your passion for football begin, back in Scotland?
Andy Irving: My dad actually played in the second division in Scotland, and in the lower leagues, he loved football, so when I was two or three I was always kicking a ball in the back garden or in the house. I started going to Hearts games with him, watching and playing football with him, and that has carried on to this day. Football became everything I thought about and talked about. About two minutes into my first ever game, I was hit in the face with the ball, I had a bleeding nose and I was crying, but that never stopped me!
Clearly it didn’t stop you, because not only were you a Hearts fan, but you ended up playing for the club you supported as well. How did that happen for young Andy?
When I was five I was playing in a team with kids who were eight, and the coach saw that I could kick a ball. I actually found out at my eighth birthday party that I was going to start training with Hearts, so that was a nice birthday present! All of my family were so passionate about Hearts, I knew that it would be my dream to play for the club. I first had a contract with them at about ten or eleven, and I ended up playing for Hearts until I was 21.
Not every player gets to go through the ranks from junior football to first team football with their home town club. What happened along the way, and what kind of moments did you experience?
It took a look of support from my parents and my brother to get me through. I made a lot of sacrifices, but so did my mum and dad who took me everywhere. I wasn’t able to go to parties, I had to live like a professional. At some point we realised that not everyone was going to make it, we were all fighting for a few spots, but I signed my first professional contract at sixteen, and then, to make my debut at seventeen was amazing. I got an assist in that game and we won 3-0, and then my home debut at Tynecastle was the ultimate dream, and I got another assist. We beat Rangers at home, I played in the Scottish Cup Final where we drew 3-3 with Celtic and lost on penalties; that was, literally, heart-breaking, but there were a lot of amazing moments.
And what about the Edinburgh Derby? Most football fans know about Celtic vs. Rangers, but in Edinburgh there’s another big rivalry, right?
The Glasgow derby, the “Old Firm“ is huge, but in Edinburgh everyone’s talking about Hearts vs Hibs [Hibernian FC] as well. If you win that, you have the bragging rights throughout the city, you’re winding up your mates in school, it’s a massive game as well. I was part of the Edinburgh derby on a few occasions, but once I came on for Hearts when we were 1-0 down at Easter Road [Hibs’ home ground] and we ended up winning 2-1. There was a packed away stand full of my family and friends, that was just an amazing feeling, to be a part of that was fantastic.
But you ended up making a move eventually, and it was a move to the third division in Germany, with an upwardly mobile Türkgücü München team. How did you find it over there?
Leaving Hearts was complicated, and moving away from your loved ones is difficult, but I was really up for the change. It was a good opportunity to live in a different country, and living in Munich was amazing, experiencing another culture, I worked hard at learning German, too, and the league was really good. I like to play with the ball on the ground and take a lot of touches, so I think the style of football suits me a bit better in Europe.
It wasn’t long before you were heading for Austria, but with Türkgücü pulling out of their league given financial problems whilst you played there, it must have been difficult, to say the least.
When I signed I was very excited, but for it to end that way, it was very sour. Living abroad, being on loan there, I didn’t have many people around me, so I learned a lot about myself, and about life. I thought that I was already quite a strong person, but after that I’m much stronger. I really appreciate being able to play football every day. I heard that there was a bit of interest from Austria Klagenfurt so I started looking at the league. Luckily I got the chance to come to Klagenfurt and train in April or May 2022, and I really enjoyed it. The offer came in the summer, and I was delighted to accept it.
You’ve played a lot of games since your arrival in Austria. Why do you think you settled in so well, and how’s life going in Austria for you?
Klagenfurt’s a beautiful place to live with the lake, the mountains and the weather! Pre-season was a great time to join as you have four or five weeks of just training with the team then. The players and all the staff made it very easy to settle in, there’s a great team spirit and I felt welcome very quickly. The coach understands me very well, and I understand what he wants from me, too. It took two or three Bundesliga games, but I’ve adapted to the football here, physically and tactically.
Talking of your coach, Peter Pacult: He’s a bit of a Bundesliga legend, having won the league before as a player and as a coach. What’s it like to play for him?
He’s responsible for the great mood and the good results at the club. He’s very tough and demanding in training, he’s quite oldschool and he demands a lot of discipline. He’s serious and strict, but he’s very honest, and he can be up for a laugh as well. He has a good way of getting the best out of us as a team and as individuals too. The team are very close, and he’s got us all pulling in the same direction. Long may that continue!
Austria Klagenfurt have been one of the most entertaining teams of the season, with so many high-scoring games! Would you rather it was a bit calmer, in terms of goals?
You’re right, I remember a lot of games which finished 3-2, 4-3, 3-3! It’s good for the neutrals, and I know that my family love watching the games, but it’s not so exciting if you end up losing 3-2. I remember the game against Austria Vienna where we led 1-0 and 2-1, then we were 3-2 down, and I scored the penalty at the end to make it 3-3. We play quite open, which leads to a lot of goals, but that means scoring and conceding them. Maybe we’d like some more 1-0 or 2-0 wins, but as long as we’re winning, it doesn’t matter how.
Redakteur: The Other Bundesliga
Fotos: GEPA pictures