Stephen Quinn is delighted to finally call himself a member of the Republic of Ireland national team.
The 28-year old Hull City midfielder made his international debut last year after a long time on the fringe before suiting up again in last month's Euro2016 qualifier against Georgia.
Ahead of Saturday's qualifier against Gibraltar in Dublin, Quinn spoke of his pride at representing his country in the sport he almost quit following the death of both of his parents when he was in his early 20s.
"It's great getting that first qualifying game under my belt," said Quinn.
"I think everyone knows how much that meant to me with my parents passing.
"It was a proud moment for the family and me. I'd worked so hard to get there and I was 28 when I was getting my first qualifying game, so it was a hard road, it was a long road, but I never doubted myself."
He added: "You can never give up on it.
"There's plenty of lads that would give an arm and a leg to put the green jersey on, so you just have to dig deep and keep going. The chance will come if you just keep plugging away and working hard on your game."
