Stoke City attacker Jonathan Walters is determined to grab his chance with the Republic of Ireland.
The Birkenhead-born 27-year-old Stoke striker could make his senior debut in Wednesday night's friendly against Norway with injuries taking their toll on Giovanni Trapattoni's squad.
However, it is a measure of the extent to which he has rebuilt his career that Walters was named in the initial party of 27 even before Robbie Keane and Caleb Folan succumbed to injury.
Walters said: "I count myself lucky. There are not many lads who drop down the leagues and move back up.
"With all the hard work that goes into doing that, you do need luck as well, so I do count myself lucky.
"But I don't get too ahead of myself and I don't get big-headed or anything like that.
"I work my socks off and do everything on and off the pitch right now."
