New signing Luke Chambers hopes good performances with Town will help him win international caps with the Republic of Ireland. The central defender, who who qualifies for Ireland through his Limerick-born maternal grandfather, was asked to take up Irish citizenship during the 2010/11 season after impressing Giovanni Trapattoni but is still to win his first cap.
Chambers was Forest’s Player of the Year during that season but drifted out of the international frame during a 2011/12 campaign which was more difficult both for club and player.
Now he hopes his move to the Blues will reignite Trapattoni’s interest: "I became an Irish citizen and I have an Irish passport and everything.
"That was in the season when we were in the play-offs. But last year, when we were lower down the league, it didn’t really help my cause.
"First and foremost, I want to come here and I want to play my football and I want to be successful and perform at the level I know I can.
"If I can do that, you never know what’s around the corner. If that’s an option, I’d love to explore it.”
With one or two of the Irish Euro 2012 squad likely to drop out of the picture in the not too distant future, Chambers hopes he’ll get his chance: "I think it’ll be a fresh start for everyone and it’s something I won’t close the door on. If that opportunity arose, I’d definitely love to take it.”