Matt Doherty eyes two starts for Ireland to prove fitness to Spurs boss Conte

Matt Doherty is hoping that he can play his way back into the Tottenham team by showing his form for Ireland against Scotland and Armenia.

The right wing-back enjoyed a consistent spell in the Spurs starting XI in the second half of last season, however Doherty picked up an injury in April and missed the end of the campaign.

The Dubliner was also missing for Ireland's four international games in June, and while he has found his fitness throughout the start of the current Premier League campaign, he is yet to get a proper run out with Antonio Conte’s side.

And while match fitness may be an issue, Doherty claims that he is ready to go on Saturday at Hampden Park, putting it down to the intense pre-season and day-to-day training with the north London club.

Doherty also revealed that Conte has given him his blessing to go away and play two international games in order to bring some match fitness back to boost his club chances.

"I feel ready to start," said Doherty, speaking to the media on Tuesday. "We train really hard at club level and if you’re not starting games, you’re ready to start, even if you’re not coming off the bench.

"That's exactly what he said," said Doherty, when asked whether Conte wants him to play in the international games.

We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

"He wants me to come away and try and get two games in, he kind of said in his press conference that I would be available after the international break