Rob Kearney was left 'rattled' by his exclusion from Andy Farrell's Ireland plans.
The Leinster full-back has not ruled the chance to add to his 95 Ireland caps on his end, but believes he has to 'get on with it' in the aftermath of Farrell's decision.
33-year-old Kearney started three of Ireland's five games in the 2019 Word Cup, splitting time at full-back with Jordan Larmour - as he also has done at Leinster the past two years.
But Farrell, with one eye on the future, has seemingly cemented Larmour's spot as the starting full-back after first leaving Kearney out of his end-of-2019 'stocktake' camp, and then the Six Nations squad.
And the Dundalk man opened up for the first time about getting the call from the new Ireland boss that confirmed his suspicions.
"I was a little bit rattled," Kearney told The Line-Out.
"Listen, I'm a realist as well, and I know after the World Cup that I'm 33 years of age and there's a new cycle coming, but you're never prepared for it.
"It was difficult, but you know the road has to end some time for everybody.
"And listen you never know, I've been invoved in so much sport over the years where so many things can change in the course of a week or two. I'm still training away.
"Leinster don't have any games over the next few weeks, which is probably the disappointing thing. I'm not out there playing games.
"Such is life, you just get on with it."
The Line-Out airs tonight at 10pm on Virgin Media Two.
