Ronan Curtis admits 'surprise' at Republic of Ireland snub - and makes Portsmouth pledge

Now the determined winger is targeting sparkling for Pompey to force his way back into Stephen Kenny’s squad.

The 26-year-old was left out of Ireland matches against Azerbaijan and Qatar earlier this month.

His snub also coincided with a Pompey one-match suspension, representing a frustrating period for Curtis.

Nonetheless, following a tricky start to the campaign, the former Derry man has roared back to form of late, with three goals in his last seven outings, including Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Accrington.

And the seven-time capped Curtis is focused on producing quality Fratton Park displays to warrant a recall for his country.

He told The News: ‘Putting on the Irish jersey is a proud moment for me and my family, so not being called up was disappointing.

‘But my mind is not on that right now, I’m trying to sort Pompey out and get us to be the best that we can.

‘To be honest, I was surprised at being dropped. I had scored a couple of goals and assisted a couple and didn’t get picked.

‘But, to be fair to the lads, they did well when they were away and got the two wins. Hopefully next month we can get another couple.

‘I was doing all right here (at Pompey), playing well, but the gaffer spoke to me and we had it out. He said some things, I said some things, and we came to an agreement and that was it, really.

‘There were no harsh words involved, nothing like that. It was nice of him to ring to tell me that I wasn't involved before the squad came out.

‘It was good management from Stephen Kenny, I have a lot of respect for him because of that.

‘To get back I need to do the best I can on the pitch for Pompey and keep scoring goals, hopefully trying to get us promoted.’

Curtis missed the 4-1 defeat at Rotherham after amassing five yellow cards, earning him a one-match suspension.

Combined with his Eire absence, it allowed him extra time on the training pitch with Pompey to fine-tune his game and respond positively to the set-back.

Curtis added: ‘To be fair, it was great having a week to myself.

‘With me also being suspended for the match (Rotherham), I trained on my own and spoke a lot to Danny and Nicky. They helped me with a lot of short, sharp stuff, such as finishing and crossing, all things which are relative to my game.

‘I’m in a good frame of mind. My form is improving and that is down to hard work on the training pitch, putting in the hours and showing dedication.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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