West Ham midfielder Andy Irving says Graham Potters side have started pre-season well as we look forward to the Summer Series tournament in the US.

The Scottish international began last year’s pre season campaign in scoring form and wasted little time getting off the mark again this summer in Switzerland.

Irving opened the scoring thirteen minutes in, finishing low into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty area. The well taken goal came courtesy of an assist from Hammers skipper Jarrod Bowen.

The 3-1 victory capped off a week of intense training in Germany. Hammers midfielder Irving was full of praise for the sessions laid on by Graham Potter and his coaching staff and believes the Club have started pre season off in positive fashion.

Speaking to the Club’s media team after the Hammers pre season opener, Irving said: “I felt like it was a really good test for us, to be honest. I think the game was really, really positive, the way that we played. I think a lot of the things that we worked on throughout the week, you could really see out on the pitch.”

Irving was naturally very happy to have got on the scoresheet: “I’m delighted, obviously, with scoring. I mean, I want to score as many goals as possible, so it was great. I’m delighted to get on the scoresheet and start pre season off well.”

Reflecting on the team’s training sessions so far, the Scottish international said: “It’s been absolutely brilliant (this week), to be honest. All the boys have been saying how good it’s been in that it’s been a great balance of training hard, working hard, meetings and what not, and a bit of free time as well, so it’s been absolutely brilliant.”

The Hammers next set of pre season fixtures take place in the US, where they will be competing in the Premier League summer series which sees them play three matches in nine days.

Irving developed somewhat of a cult hero status among West Ham fans last season. Although he was a squad player last season and did not feature regularly, West Ham fans showed their love and appreciation for the 25 year old throughout the campaign. This comes from a place of wanting the midfielder to succeed considering his footballing journey from relative obscurity to the Premier League.

Nothing typified the Hammers faithfuls love towards the Scotsman more than when he started away at Stamford Bridge and chants dedicated towards him could be heard from the away end throughout the game.

A positive pre season campaign last season led to the then Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui deciding to keep Irving a part of his first team squad as opposed to loaning him out or moving him on. It will be interesting to see whether another successful pre season campaign this year would encourage Graham Potter to keep the midfielder part of his plans ahead of the new season.