Inverness attacker Billy McKay is relishing the chance to impress Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill in South America.
McKay, a prolific scorer for Caley Thistle over the last two seasons, has been part of the Northern Ireland set-up for some time but has struggled for regular game time since making his debut in February 2013.
His first five caps all came as a substitute and in Cyprus he was replaced just 17 minutes after coming off the bench following Gareth McAuley’s sending off.
But the absence of Kyle Lafferty, Martin Paterson and Jamie Ward on the current trip meant he made the starting XI for the first time in the 1-0 defeat to Uruguay on Friday.
He worked tirelessly without a sight of goal but has another chance to catch the eye in Chile on Wednesday night and it is one he is desperate to take. “It was good to get a start against top-class opposition. I’ve been in and around for 18 months or so now and I think the time was right for me to get a start,” he said.
“Hopefully I’ve done all right and I’m in the thoughts of the manager now. Every time I come away I want to impress as much as I can, whether it’s training or games. Hopefully I’ve done that this week and there’s another game to go so there’s another chance to go again.
“If the manager picks me I’ll be ready to go. I want to go out and score goals and it would be nice to grab one in Chile.”