EURO 2016 hopeful Shane Duffy insists he wants to achieve his ambitions at Blackburn Rovers.

The centre-back is going into the final 12 months of the three-year contract he signed when joining from Everton in September 2014.

Duffy admits that he is determined to make a return to the Premier League after a six-year spell with the Goodison Park outfit.

And, when asked whether if he’d had any talks about extending his Ewood Park stay, he admitted he would love to do that at Rovers.

Duffy said: “I’m just concentrating on football. I don’t deal with that. I just want to play.

“But I want to play up the league, I want to get promoted, I want to do stuff like that.

“Like every footballer I want to get to the top – and that’s what I want to do here.

“I don’t know, we’ll see what happens, hopefully the board and the club back the new manager.

“I’d love to stay here if we can sort it.”

Duffy’s stunning winner at Brentford was named goal of the season and, along with Ben Marshall, he was in the running for the player of the year award won by captain and his centre-back partner Grant Hanley.

But the 24-year-old was not entirely satisfied with his own form during a campaign in which Rovers kept 15 clean sheets.

Duffy said: “It was better but it was still not the standard I want to get to.

“I’ve had a few downs, and I’ve had a few ups, so I want to get the downs out of my game and have a more consistent season than I’ve had this year.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s been better than last season, but I know I’ve got more in my locker and hopefully it’s here.

“I’m happy, in a way, but I know I can do better. Last year was okay, this year was better, and hopefully next year will be even better.”

Duffy’s performances have certainly caught the eye of Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill.

O’Neill handed the big defender his third international cap in Friday’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Dublin and afterwards praised his display: “He had another excellent performance considering he hasn’t got any fantastic international experience.

“He has come on in leaps and bounds since the time we took him to America when he was on loan to Yeovil from Everton.

“He has gone to Blackburn and he is obviously playing most weeks, which has been beneficial to him and he has taken to it.”

Duffy seems set to be named in the Republic of Ireland’s 23-man squad for Euro 2016 when it is announced following tomorrow’s friendly against Belarus in Cork.

But he said: “I’ve just got to see if the manager picks me or not but I’d love to have a busy summer.

“I’ve had my downs and I’ve my ups, sort of like the season itself, but form wise I’ve been good, but I can get better.

“I’m still young and hopefully I can push on and get into the squad.”

Corry Evans’ place in Northern Ireland’s Euro 2016 squad was confirmed on Saturday.

Fellow Rovers midfielder Lee Williamson will be playing with Jamaica at the Copa America Centenario in the United States this summer while striker Simeon Jackson has been selected by Canada for their friendlies with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in Austria.