Republic of Ireland new boy Darren Potter will watch the Champions League final tomorrow at peace with his decision to quit Liverpool in search of first-team football.

The former Saints loanee, 22, made the difficult decision to leave Anfield two and a half years after his first-team debut in a Champions League qualifier when Wolves boss Mick McCarthy gave him the chance to make his loan move to Molineux permanent during the January transfer window.

Now the winger is poised for an international debut as the Irish prepare for a two-match tour in the United States, playing Ecuador at Giants Stadium in New York tomorrow night and Bolivia at Gillette Stadium near Boston on Saturday.

''Obviously I was a little bit reluctant, no-one wants to leave a club like Liverpool,'' Potter said.

''But I was coming towards 22 so I had to get out and play games. Thankfully Wolves gave me that opportunity and I took my chance.

''I was on loan until the end of the season but Mick pulled me in after a few months and told me he'd like to make it permanent. I wasn't sure it was going to be done in January but thankfully it was".

Potter certainly got plenty of first-team action, playing 41 times in league and cup for Wolves.

That followed a spell on loan at St Mary's in the last three months of the 2005/06 season under George Burley.

Wolves' season ended on a low note last week when they were beaten by Black Country rivals West Brom in their Championship play-off semi-final.

Yet the midfielder is only taking positives from the experience and believes the extra games will help his bid to impress Irish boss Steve Staunton this week in America.

''Of course it was disappointing but West Brom are probably the best team in the league we've played all season,'' he added.

''It's definitely been a good season all round for me and the club but obviously it finished on a disappointing note.

''It's definitely been the longest season of my career playing that amount of games. It's probably very beneficial, coming straight from the play-offs to here.

"I'm still fit, I haven't had many days off and I'm still focused on the football".