Driver steers his way to Houston

Andy Driver in action for Houston Dynamo

OLDHAM-born midfield ace Andy Driver is enjoying a new lease of life in the sunshine city of Houston in America.

After a hugely-successful playing career with Scottish Premier Division outfit Hearts, though latterly one blighted by injury, Driver’s salary level meant he was deemed surplus to requirements at the end of last year by the financially-stricken Edinburgh outfit.

He needed to move on before his contract expired in the summer, and that chance to try Major League Soccer in the States came about late last month when Houston Dynamo came calling.

Swapping freezing-cold Edinburgh for red-hot Houston really was a ‘no-brainer’ for Driver, and he’s now in the States having signed a loan deal until the end of December, with an option to extend that by a further two years.

The 25-year-old made his debut for the Dynamos just over a fortnight ago, coming on as a substitute in a nail-biting 1-0 home victory against Mexican side Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final first leg at the plush BBVA Compass Stadium.

“I’ve got sunscreen on already,” Driver said, smiling as he explained why a player once linked with Chelsea decided his next move lay Stateside.

"I’ve not seen the sun in about three months in Scotland.

“It’s a desirable place to come because the league’s on the up. There’s a positive feeling around it.

“Obviously, I’ve been playing in Scotland for a long time, and it was a choice between going down to England or coming here.

“I really fancy a big change and a start that’s totally fresh. Maybe people don’t know me and I can come here and improve my game and just get on with things.

“As a league and a whole, the game over here is improving. There are lots of big stars coming over here now. I think you just need to look at the amount of players coming from the MLS and going to places like the Premier League and over to Europe. It’s not as if people see it as a place for retirement.

“Now, it’s a place where you can go and really enhance your career.”
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