STEPHEN Grant is hoping to make it an Irish one-two among the strikers at Turf Moor.

Grant has been overlooked for the Republic of Ireland's under-21 squad which faces a European Championship qualifying triple-header against Yugoslavia, Croatia and Malta starting at the end of the month.

But the former Stockport County front man hopes his summer move to Burnley will soon win him his place back in the international set-up alongside Clarets team-mate Alan Lee.

Grant revealed: "I was talking to the under-21 manager and he didn't know I was actually at a club. He thought I wasn't playing.

"He's just found out I am here at Burnley so I'm back in contention now. He said I might even get a call for this squad, we'll have to wait and see what happens.

"He's going to see how I get on in the next couple of weeks."

Grant won a handful of under-21 caps during his time at Edgeley Park and was shocked to be released by the First Division club at the end of last season.

"It was a bit funny to be let go because for a year I was in every under-21 squad and I made nearly 50 appearances altogether for Stockport in two years.

"It was just really that I didn't get on with the manager because there was no way you were going to get let go after something like that," he said.

But the Stockport connection did play a part in helping Grant revive a career that has taken him back and forth across the Irish Sea with Athlone Town, Sunderland and Shamrock Rovers. "My agent got on to me and told me that Paul Cook was here, who I was with at Stockport, and said that there was interest and I should come down for a trial and see what the story was," explained the 22-year-old Irishman, who impressed Clarets boss Stan Ternent sufficiently to earn an initial short-term deal.

"It's perfect really. It's best this way. If it isn't working out for me or for them then I can go but if it is working out you can sign a longer contract after that.

"That would be the (ideal) thing but we'll just see how it goes for now.

"It's been great. The manager keeps all the squad together, the football's good and I'm just really enjoying it."

With Lee, Andy Payton and Andy Cooke currently ahead of Grant in the pecking order it's a case of working hard and waiting for a break.

And he took his chance in the reserves in mid-week by scoring the winner against Grimsby Town.

"It was nice to get off the mark right-away. I was in the squad for today's game so I've just got to keep getting involved and see what happens," he added.

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