But Andrew Omobamidele is confident a struggling Ireland team can "click" as he pursues his own ambitions of breaking into the Nottingham Forest team despite spending almost three months in cold storage.

The Leixlip lad got some much-needed game time in Tuesday's 1-1 international at home to New Zealand, his first taste of action in 12 weeks.

It's a bizarre scenario where Forest pushed to sign him from Norwich City in August for a fee initially put at PS20m but believed to be closer to PS11m.

He has yet to make the bench for Forest, as boss Steve Cooper has told him to bide his time.

"I feel it's not good.

It's easy to go on about your time is coming.

But I don't think patience is a good trait in football to have, personally.

I feel like you always need to want to play.

You should be thinking of yourself, about being better or playing in this position," he says.

"I get told to be patient a lot by family members and stuff like that, but I think there's a difference between patience and complacency.

I never want to get into the position where I'm not playing and I'm happy where I am.

I want to play and establish myself in the Premier League and international football.

Like I said, once my chance comes, I'll be ready to take it.

"There is a process to everything, recruitment, ins and outs.

I'm just trying to control the controllable at the moment, which, for me, is when my opportunity comes, just take it.

Obviously, in the training ground every day, I give 100pc and the rest is out of my control.

There is a process in everything, but once I get my chance, I'm ready to take it.

I think it's a matter of time.

"I'm fighting every day to try to get into the (Forest) team.

I don't want to be complacent or feel comfortable.

I want to test myself and I'm being tested at the moment," added Omobamidele, who plays down the significance of that large transfer fee.

"I forgot about that.

You need to just look ahead.

You can't wake up the next day just thinking about your victories or your little small wins, being bought or something like that.

You have to concentrate on what's ahead, and for me, that's breaking into the team and playing regularly.

It's up to me to answer those questions.

"The next Ireland game of note is 10 months away and he knows club fortunes have to change for him to be in the side.

He's grateful to now former Irish boss Stephen Kenny for taking a risk on his debut - Omobamidele came on as an early sub in the World Cup qualifier away to Portugal - and is upbeat about the future despite results.

"I think the boys have been amazing.

I feel like the group has shifted the culture of how it was.

I grew up watching Ireland teams and I know it's a results-driven business, we all know that, but I think there is a process," he says.

"We've not had the luck and haven't had performances that we'd want, but me personally, looking at the squad we have, there's going to be a stage that it clicks.

It's like I said about patience.

"I know we say, 'Be patient with us', but I know it's about results and performances as well.

We just need to keep doing what we're doing, it's not like it's a lack of work-rate from the boys.

The boys are 100pc, the passion is 100pc, boys like myself on six or seven caps or James McClean on over 100.

It's the same throughout the squad.

It's only a matter of time before it clicks.

"He (Kenny) has been massive, that point where he had the faith to bring me on against Portugal, that lit the fire in my early career stage.

That's when everything started to fall into place.

I owe him a massive debt.

I will be forever grateful and the faith he continued to show me after that.

With the lack of minutes I am getting with the club now, it'd be easy to throw in other people who are playing and I'd understand that, but he continued to show faith in me.

He's been amazing for my international career.

".