Former Burton Albion midfielder Jackson Irvine says the main reason behind his record departure to Hull City in August was to elevate his game to the next level and take himself out of his comfort zone once more.

The Brewers' top goalscorer in 2016/17 left the Pirelli Stadium for a fee understood to be around £2m earlier this season, and has made three appearances for the Tigers so far.

Twenty-four-year-old Irvine is currently away on international duty with his native Australia - for whom he made his first start and scored his first goal for earlier this year while with the Brewers - as they aim to progress to the next round of the World Cup play-offs.

That has not gone completely to plan for the Socceroos so far, with Ange Postecoglou's side drawing 1-1 against Syria in Malaysia on Thursday, ensuring everything is to play for in the return leg on Tuesday.

Jackson Irvine challenges Alexis Sanchez while in action for Australia
Jackson Irvine challenges Alexis Sanchez while in action for Australia

As an ambitious individual - and perhaps with one eye on a potential World Cup starting spot - Irvine acknowledges that a move to Hull - a Premier League side as recently as May - can help him develop as a player and compete with a deeper pool of players.

Not that the decision to leave the Brewers was a straightforward one - although Irvine has shown throughout his career already that staying in one's comfort zone is not always the option to be taken.

"Of course it's difficult to leave somewhere where you're comfortable - you know the place and you know the people," he told SportMail.

"I was very aware, even coming into the start of the season, the way we'd started, of what is expected of you.

"But I think the biggest thing for me was I have always tried, not just in football but in life, to live outside my comfort zone.

"The same thing could've been said when I left Ross County, coming to Burton people saw that as a risky kind of move.

"All you can try to do is make decisions based on what you think are going to be a pathway to what you want to achieve in your life and your career.

"It was difficult to leave Burton, but I could recognise in myself that I was very much in my comfort zone.

Burton Albion midfielder Jackson Irvine celebrates his equalizer against Hull City at the KCOM Stadium
Burton Albion midfielder Jackson Irvine celebrates his equalizer against Hull City at the KCOM Stadium

"I was happy and comfortable - and that is a good thing to have.

"But when you've got the chance to push yourself out of that again and go and test yourself again in a different way, I felt it was something that I had to do.

"It's something I've always tried to do throughout my career, I've had opportunities to go and play in different places and for different reasons.

"But I have always tried to keep my pathway very clear in what I want to do - and we saw the chance to take another step forward."

Irvine's move to Hull gives him a chance to pit his wits against the likes of former Arsenal man Jon Toral and ex-Liverpool and Burton midfielder Kevin Stewart.

This can only benefit Irvine as he seeks to improve his game - and the heightened competition is part of the reason why he took the plunge and moved to Humberside, describing the atmosphere at Hull as being a "different level".

"It's great, it's the reason I wanted to make the move and a new challenge, the standard technically and the day-to-day of the club is entirely different," Irvine told Australian press of his move.

"I want to push myself outside my comfort zone and test myself, and playing amongst three or four other international midfielders to try and get a game, that's the competition.

"You just have to keep pushing and when you get your opportunity, take it. I can feel it lifting my game already. Day to day it's a different level altogether.

"I've had to deal with an entirely new set of challenges, playing with top players, being at a big club environment and being thrown in and out of the team at times."