CHERRIES star Harry Arter insisted there had been no chance of him suffering stage fright on his full debut for Republic of Ireland. 

Arter was the standout performer in a 1-1 draw last night, picking up the man-of-the-match award at the Aviva Stadium. 

The 26-year-old now seems set to seal his place in Martin O'Neill's Euro 2016 squad having showcased his credentials.

"For me, this was an unbelievable opportunity to try to do well,” Arter told RTE Sport.

“I'm not the sort of player that gets scared of opportunities like this. The manager made it clear there would be pressure on the lads but you need to rise to that pressure. 

“You're professional footballers at the end of the day. For me, it wasn't just any sort of pressure, it was an unbelievable challenge and an unbelievable opportunity.

"I felt I gave my all and that was all I wanted to do before the game. I was always going to give 110 per cent and that was what I did.”

Arter's full-throttle display included a yellow card for a challenge on Memphis Depay but boss O'Neill was happy to see that level of commitment. 

“I understand that the players want to put in a performance," he said. 

"Harry got in two or three times and got booked. That’s the way he generally plays the game.

"He is tenacious and does put his foot in. That didn’t surprise me, it was the same with Quinny (Stephen Quinn). I was pleased with them.”

Cherries colleague Eunan O'Kane replaced Arter with seven minutes to play. 

Elsewhere, Cherries goalkeeper Adam Federici was an unused substitute for Australia in their 2-1 defeat to England at Sunderland's Stadium of Light.