Luke Chambers has virtually conceded defeat in his quest to represent the Republic of Ireland, to the extent that he is almost embarrassed to discuss it.
Asked about the possibility of winning senior international honours for Martin O’Neill’s side, Chambers, 30, was quick to answer: "Next question, I’ve given up on that. It’s not going to happen now, is it? I qualify and if there’s a mad injury crisis I’ll be there if they need me. But I would imagine it’s something that has passed now.
"The boys have done tremendously well to qualify. I’m delighted for Didzy and Murph and I hope they both get to the Euros next year.
"Do they know about me? I don’t know and I’m not going to go over it again. I think I’ve made enough of the fact that I’d love to be involved but I’m obviously not their first choice to be in the squad at the moment. That’s the way it goes.”
Chambers, who is close to his 550th appearance in a career that has also taken in spells at Northampton and Nottingham Forest, qualifies through his grandfather and has all the necessary paperwork in order should the Republic come calling at any point.
He has been eligible for a while and while he has been waiting patiently for an opportunity that has yet to arise, Chambers’s chances of being in France for next summer’s Euro finals could be greatly enhanced if he can lead Town to promotion this season.
Meanwhile, the skipper has praised fit-again midfielder Luke Hyam after the 24-year-old former Northgate High School pupil joined Championship rivals Rotherham on loan as part of his efforts to improve his fitness and eventually re-establish himself in Mick McCarthy’s first team.
Chambers added: "Luke is one of the hardest-working, most honest lads I have ever met in football and he’s done everything he can to keep himself in prime condition.
"He trained with us for four or five days after the gaffer said he was thinking about sending him out on loan.
"But Luke did so well that the gaffer also pulled him in and said he wasn’t sure about doing it, because he looked as if he might be ready to go straight back into the squad.
"The way things are going at the moment I think it’s a great move for him to go up there, and get away from things here because he’s probably seen a lot of these walls over the last year. It’s only going to benefit him and he’ll come back here firing.”
Chambers also commented on the question of whether it requires substantial investment to assemble a squad of players capable of winning promotion to the top flight.
He said: "I don’t think it does, necessarily, because since the gaffer came here he has transformed the squad. A lot has been made of the fact that it’s the best squad he’s had.
"You’ve got to look at some of the players who have come in, like Tommy Oar, who has had a bit of a stop-start time.
"Then there’s Larsen [Touré], who didn’t play a lot over the summer and came in unfit, although he’s now getting there.
"You’ve also got Luke Varney and Luke Hyam coming back, and we’ve not had Teddy Bishop all year. Plus, Ryan Fraser’s out injured and we all know what impact he made after joining us.
"These are players who won’t just be squad players but will be looking to get straight into the first team. It’s a good thing to have.
"Didzy has also had a stop-start time so once we get everyone back we’ll be looking at the squad and it will be a different picture really.”