Town striker David McGoldrick says he’s not with Martin O’Neill’s provisional Republic of Ireland squad ahead of Friday’s home friendly against Holland just to make up the numbers, the 28-year-old is after a place in the 23-man party travelling to the European Championships in France next month.
"It is massive for every player to go the Euros and represent your country, it is massive for me and for all the other boys,” McGoldrick said at a press conference alongside his Blues team-mate Daryl Murphy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin following an open training session on Tuesday.
"I believe in my own ability. I can go out and train in confidence. I’m not overawed by the players I’m playing with.
"I’m here for a reason. I haven’t just come to make up a 30-man squad. I’ve come to try to get into the 23. My aim is to impress. There are some top class strikers so I have to give it my all.”
O’Neill has limited space in his squad for strikers and it could be that only one of McGoldrick and Murphy make it to France, where Ireland will play Belgium, Italy and Sweden in the group stages.
"I’m good mates with Murph,” McGoldrick, who returned to action with Town in the final weeks of the season having been out since December with a hamstring injury, said.
"If he went and I didn’t I’d be delighted for him and I’m sure that would be the case the other way round. We get on well on and off the pitch so what will be will be.”
Murphy, who missed the last weeks of Town's campaign with a calf problem, said he’d feel the same if McGoldrick got the nod and he didn't: "Of course, why not? If I’m not going and David’s going then I’ll support him 100 per cent, like I would any of the rest of the lads.”
The 33-year-old, who is confident he is over his injury - "It’s fully healed now, touch wood. I’m not expecting anything to happen to it. I’ve had two tough enough days [in training] and worked it hard and there’s been no reaction whatsoever" - has been capped on 20 occasions to McGoldrick’s two, but like his Town team-mate is still to score his first international goal.
"A goal would be great, I’ve been waiting a long time for one of them,” he reflected. "Of course it would but I think, first and foremost, if I play any part that I do the basics right.
"If I’m only thinking about a goal and I’m not holding the ball up or fighting my corner and setting people up then I’m at nothing really.
"Once that part of the game is taken care of and I get a chance hopefully it will go in. It has not wanted to go in for me for a while now but I think I just need to get the chances and hopefully I’ll take one.
"It’s frustrating but it’s part and parcel of football. There’s obviously a reason I’ve not scored but I think I’ve had some decent chances but the keeper’s saved it, or I’ve hit the post or something like that. You always think as a striker that you’re going to get a chance and you’ll score.
"You can’t dwell on it too much because if I had done that, I think my confidence would be shattered but I don’t think too much about that.”
Murphy has a lot of time for fellow strikers Shane Long and Ireland's 67-goal all-time record scorer Robbie Keane, who are expected to be named in the final squad along with ex-Blues skipper Jon Walters.
"He has everything you need to play at the top level,” Murphy said of Southampton frontman Long.
"He does it week in, week out. He scores goals, causes teams all sorts of problems. It is great for us to have a player like that with his pace and goalscoring record in our squad.
"You look up to people like Robbie. He is a legend. I’ve been watching him all his career. He has done brilliant. He is so sharp. He knows exactly what is around him what he is going to do before the ball even comes. His finishing is still top notch.
"He has always been a voice of influence in the changing room. He is brilliant in the squad. He still offers us a lot. He has proven it his whole career.”
O'Neill, whose assistant is ex-Town boss Roy Keane, had planned to name his final 23-man squad after the Holland game, although he could now wait until after next Tuesday’s friendly against Belarus at Cork City's Turner's Cross. Ireland’s first game at the Euros is against the Swedes on Monday 13th June.