GOALKEEPER Mark Travers admitted it would be “unbelievable” to represent Republic of Ireland at a major tournament – and underlined it as one of his main targets.

The Cherries stopper, who burst on to the Premier League scene during the final two games of the season, was this week called up by national boss Mick McCarthy for next month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Travers, who was an unused substitute for the Boys in Green’s victories against Gibraltar and Georgia, could feature in Denmark on June 7 and at home to Gibraltar on June 10.

And with next summer’s European finals just more than 12 months away, Travers is eager to keep himself in the international reckoning.

Asked what it would mean to feature for his country at a major tournament, Kildare native Travers told the Daily Echo: “That’s the goal, it would be unbelievable to represent your country in a major tournament.

“It’s not until the end of next season, so hopefully next season I can have a good one and try to work towards that.

“The past few weeks have been important for me and we still have internationals coming up.

“We (Ireland) had two great results in the first games and hopefully we can get the same in the next ones.”

Ireland boss McCarthy described as “excellent” Travers’s top-flight debut in a 1-0 win against Tottenham earlier this month. Travers, who on Saturday celebrated his 20th birthday, said he had enjoyed working with the former Wolves and Sunderland boss.

He had also asked Cherries team-mate Ryan Fraser, who played under McCarthy during a loan spell at Ipswich, about the Ireland manager.

Travers said: “Wee Wan spoke to me and said what a great manager he was and man manager he was and he said I would definitely look forward to working with him. He speaks very highly of him and it’s the same as me – he is a great manager.”

Travers was handed his first senior international call-up having not made an appearance at professional level.

His only experience of men’s football came for Weymouth under former Cherries midfielder Mark Molesley.

Thrown into the intensity of the Premier League, the stopper insisted he had consulted his other Cherries team-mates about the constant spotlight.“It was a lot different than what I’m used to but you just have to take it all in your stride and learn from it,” he added.

“It’s not just on the pitch, it’s off the pitch as well with the way you conduct yourself.

“I am just trying to keep my head up after the Palace result and keep moving forward.

“I have had brief chats with everyone to see how they deal with it (the attention) and try to take it into my own game as well.”