Glenn Whelan has turned down moves abroad in the hope of prolonging his second coming with Ireland.
The midfielder, 35, was this week released by Aston Villa, just days after securing Premier League promotion at Wembley.
“I’d one or two foreign options but when I spoke to Mick McCarthy, it was about playing as high as I can,” he said yesterday.
“To go to a different league that’s not as competitive as the Premier League or Championship, my options would be limited with the international scene.”
Whelan has been restored to first-team duty under McCarthy after Martin O’Neill made it clear he wouldn’t be part of his plans had he remained in charge.
The Dubliner played a key role in the March win over Georgia and is set to face Denmark on Friday where he’ll be tasked with keeping Christian Eriksen under wraps.
“I’m not just coming back with Ireland to be a cheerleader - I want to play and make an impact, or at least have a chance of getting into the XI,” added Whelan.
“To sit on the bench for 12 months after getting back involved with Ireland, it’s not something I wanted to do.
“I moan and groan and if I don’t have a chance of playing, then I could be even worse! I’m willing to fight anybody and any player as long as it’s a fair fight.
“I’m more than happy to fight for a place to get in a team. But if it’s not a fair fight then I’ll look elsewhere.
“I’ve had people on the phone, it hasn’t stopped for the last few days. If there’s any club out there that wants me, I want to go in and make an impact.”
Whelan insists he has no axe to grind with Villa after a successful two-year stint in which he was central to their promotion.
But he was disappointed at how he learned about his Villa departure.
Whelan explained: “After the game at Wembley, I went away with my wife and kids and then flew through the night on Saturday to get back here.
“I’d two missed calls when I landed, one from a journalist saying I’d been released ….and another from the gaffer (Dean Smith) saying could I ring him.
“Listen, I knew where I stood. I’m not going to be knocking on doors at my age. I’m just happy I went to Aston Villa and played a massive part.”
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