ACCRINGTON Stanley forward Shay McCartan hopes his international recognition can kickstart his club season after being called up to the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad.

McCartan, who has missed the start of the campaign with a wrist injury, is now fully fit and excited to be part of the Northern Ireland squad for matches against Scotland and Iceland next month.

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The former Burnley man, who could miss Stanley’s League Two trip to Portsmouth on September 5 as a result of his call-up said: “It’s obviously a huge honour to get called up for your country and hopefully we can go away and get a couple of wins.

“It’s a real boost. Hopefully I’ll get a bit of game time there.

“I want to try to get as many minutes under my belt as I can.

“Getting games helps so much, it sharpens you up and you learn a lot. You can play all the behind closed doors games and friendlies that you want but until you go out in a competitive game you’re not really playing. There’s no better feeling.

“I’ve not been playing here but hopefully I can go away with the under-21s, play and get my fitness up. If that gets me in the team here and gets me playing week-in, week-out then that will help my chances of playing for the under-21s. I feel fit and sharp so I hope I can help both parties.”

Northern Ireland host Scotland on Saturday, September 5 and visit Iceland on Tuesday, September 8.

And McCartan also revealed he is over the wrist injury he picked up on the eve of the new campaign.

“It’s fine now,” he said.

“Hopefully I can be back playing sooner rather than later.

“For it to happen the day before the start of the season was the worst possible timing.

“It was frustrating being fit and not being able to get involved. I could run and everything but I was afraid of getting a whack every time someone came near me.”

Stanley travel to Notts County tomorrow looking to make it back to back wins in League Two and Reds boss John Coleman admitted McCartan could be pushing for a recall to the squad.

“He’s a smashing player and gives us something totally different,” Coleman said of the 21-year-old.

“I’m delighted that he’s got the call up because he deserves it.”