Darron Gibson has said that he is pleased to return to the Republic of Ireland squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

The Everton midfielder chose to step away from international football during Giovanni Trapattoni's reign as manager after falling out with the Italian.

However, Gibson is back in the picture now that Noel King is in temporary charge of the side.

"It was tough to stay away but I'm delighted to be back in," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying. "It feels like a fresh start at the moment."

Ireland face Germany in Cologne on Friday before hosting Kazakhstan four days later.