Stoke City midfielder Stephen Ireland has turned down a call up to the Republic of Ireland squad.
Ireland declined the opportunity to be involved in the first squad named by interim Republic of Ireland boss Noel King.
King said: "I went to see him. He is not ready, but I would have looked at it, which is what I did.
"I got on to him, he got back to me, I got back to him, he left me a message, I spoke to the agent and so on. It was good, I have to say.
"He's on the comeback road, he wants to get strong, he wants to get playing in his team as a regular and he wants to come back and play for Ireland at some stage."
