The Stoke midfielder is flattered by the comparison with the AC Milan and Italy enforcer having only forced his way into the senior international picture during this summer.

However, he knows only maintaining the high standards he has set in winning his first three caps under Trapattoni will keep him in the team as he prepares for the opening World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Montenegro.

Whelan said: "To be compared with a player like that is great confidence-wise, especially coming from the manager.

"Saying that, if I play badly in the next game, that could all go out the window.

"Coming to meet the squad for the first time, you do want to impress. You want to catch the manager's eye and stay there.

"Hopefully, that's what I have done. I'm here on merit, but I know that if I'm not doing the business, there are other players out there who will come in and take my spot."

Whelan is likely to start against Georgia in Mainz on Saturday - the game is being played in Germany because of the troubles in the Eastern European country - and will hope a positive result and a good personal display will see him keep his place when Ireland play Montenegro in Podgorica four days later.

That will come as a welcome boost for a player who has found himself sitting on the bench for his club in recent weeks following the arrivals of Seyi Olofinjana and Amdy Faye.

He said: "You ask anybody and they will tell you they want to play every game.

"It is going to be difficult this year. The manager has brought in some new players and he wants to develop a settled team to get us going.

"I'm more than confident that I can get back in the team. I just have to keep my head down."

In the meantime, Whelan will hope to help his country get off to a good start as they attempt to book a trip to South Africa in 2010.

The Georgians will not have the advantage of playing in their own capital city of Tbilisi after FIFA ordered them to stage the game at a neutral venue, and Ireland have been allocated almost twice as many tickets as their opponents at the Bruchweg Stadium.

But Whelan insists once the first whistle goes, all that will count for little.

He said: "Georgia would obviously love to have played in their own country, but that wasn't possible with everything that was going on.

"In saying that, it is still 11 v 11 on the pitch. Hopefully, we will have a lot of support there, but it will be just like any other game."