PUSH yourself forward and take opportunities. Liam Donnelly has been doing that again and again for Motherwell so far this season, to great effect. Now the aim is to do so in a Northern Ireland senior shirt.
After netting eight goals in eight games in this club campaign, he declares: "If I go a couple of games now without scoring it'll be seen as a drought."
The Dungannon man laughs as much as everyone else at that comment, adding: "Nah, I'm buzzing, the goals are an added bonus, I'm more focussed on performance."
Injuries restricted him to just 11 appearances for the Fir Park outfit last season – and ruled out a NI recall too. "Last season was difficult, frustrating, a few injuries."
Goal-scoring simply wasn't his thing on the club scene, with just four in 93 senior appearances for Dungannon Swifts, Crawley Town, Hartlepool United, and now Motherwell, mostly playing at centre back.
Yet a change of role this season has transformed him into a goal machine and returned him to the senior international scene.
Asked if he now goes into games expecting to score, he replies: "I've never been like that before, but I've started to put some pressure on myself now.
"I moved positions slightly, moved a bit further forward, into midfield, so I've had a few chances and thankfully tucked them away. It's been a bit of a surprise, but keep them coming."
The remarkable aspect of the exponential increase in his goal return is that he hasn't been deployed in an attacking role: "I'm predominantly still a defensive midfielder, although the midfield three rotate a bit, so you get up to the top of it too, that's why I've had a few chances.
"Within reason I'll try and creep forward, but if I hear the shout I'll have to stay back. If I go forward someone will usually slot into my position."
The new role is not completely alien to him: "I played a few games there with the [Northern Ireland] U21s, and earlier in my career with Hartlepool. The position became vacant at Motherwell after a few players moved on in the summer. I tried it out and it's been working well so far."
He was also known for accuracy from the spot, scoring several penalties for the U21s, and his tally so far this season includes three such goals. "That's where it all started, taking them for the U21s. I've a good success rate so far and hopefully it stays like that."
As skipper at that level he became Northern Ireland's record U21 cap-holder, and even made an 89th minute substitute appearance for the senior side as an 18-year-old in the summer of 2014, away to Chile.
"I was a young lad then, bit nervous, probably didn't speak much. It was a great trip, it was massive for me to be involved at that age and an honour to get my first cap.
"Alexis Sanchez was on the pitch when I came on but I don't think I got too close to him."
He has had to show remarkable patience since then, although he never gave up hope: "It's been a long wait, but I've always hoped that I would get the call-up again. The squad has been doing really well this last couple of years so I knew I would have to do really well to get a chance of coming back in again. Delighted to be back."
Donnelly pays tribute to the influence of his club boss Stephen Robinson, a former NI under-age manager and one-time assistant to Michael O'Neill at senior level:
"He was probably the main reason I went to the club, I've known him since I was young. It's a good platform for me to showcase myself; I've started to do that a bit more this season."
As with club, so with country, with Donnelly hoping to get some game-time against Luxembourg and/ or Germany.
"It's an opportunity, if you do get your chance against Luxembourg, to push yourself forward for the Germany game.
"There are a lot of good players in and around the position so it'll be difficult to get in, but I'll work hard and try to impress."
And a goal against Germany next Monday night?
"Hopefully. I'll just focus on getting on the pitch first".
