I'm a Dundalk boy ..playing for the North wouldn't be the best idea I've ever had!

JIMMY DUNNE has joked that the politics of hailing from a border town means he could never have taken up the offer of playing for Northern Ireland.

- MARK McCADDEN

The Queen's Park Rangers defender is aiming to make a long-awaited senior international debut with the Boys in Green, when they take on Bulgaria tomorrow night in their Nations League promotion/ relegation play-off.

Dunne could have plenty of caps to his name already, had he taken advantage of the fact that his grandmother hails from Enniskillen.

Asked if he ever gave it any consideration, Dunne replied: "Yeah I've been asked to do it in the past, my granny is from Enniskillen, just over the border so it's been an option.

"But, to be honest, I don't know if you (pauses)... in Dundalk, I don't think you can consider it too much. I don't want to go missing or anything!

Dunne means no offence, but there was a time when he was strongly linked with a switch.

Having represented Ireland at under-21 level, he received his first senior call under Martin O'Neill. But that was only a provisional squad, and he didn't make the final cut.