Former Newport County striker Conor Washington hopes to make his debut for Northern Ireland against Wales in Cardiff this week.
Washington reckons a return to familiar surroundings will help his late bid for a place in Northern Ireland’s Euro 2016 squad.
The 23-year-old Kent-born striker earned his first call-up to Michael O’Neill’s side for the forthcoming friendlies with Wales and Slovenia.
That leaves him facing up to the prospect of potentially making his international debut in a city he used to call home.
From Northern Ireland’s base in Cardiff, Washington can see the high-rise flat he lived in during his time playing for Newport.
Good scoring returns as a non-league player there and later with Peterborough earned him a move to QPR in January.
Although he is yet to score for them after eight appearances, he has done enough to receive a summons from Northern Ireland, whom he qualifies to play for under the grandparent rule.
Washington said: “It is a bit ironic that I could make my international debut where this journey started.
“I lived literally across from the hotel so it is a bit strange but that would add to the memory of it.
Northern Ireland Manager Michael O’Neill has watched Washington play for both Peterborough and QPR.
“I was absolutely buzzing with the call-up. It’s something I’ve known about for a little while having spoken to the gaffer a couple of times.
“He’s been to see me a few times at Peterborough and a little bit at QPR. My aim is to get a bit of game time and show what I can do and hopefully be an asset to the squad.
“Of course, the aim is to make the squad for France but at the minute I will take it game by game, enjoy training and see where it takes me.”
Like fellow strikers Jamie Vardy, Charlie Austin and Andre Gray, Washington has plotted a journey from the part-time ranks, when he worked as a postman, to the top two divisions of English football.
Now he is under the guidance of former Premier League greats Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Les Ferdinand at Rangers, fuelled by a desire to make sure he is not delivering letters again.
“A lot of it comes down to the hunger,” Washington explained.
“A lot has been made of how a lot is given to young players but with the likes of myself, Charlie Austin, Jamie Vardy and Andre Gray, we’ve been down at a lower level and don’t want to go back.
“It’s obviously a great life as a footballer and I think we probably appreciate that a bit more.”
