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"I don't see why coming to Scunthorpe cannot help me get back into the Northern Ireland team, I just want to play and start enjoying my football again,” he told the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph.
"At international level you are competing with players from the Premier League and the First Division so you need to have first team football to be in there with a chance.
“It was six years ago when I got the first Irish cap and the last time I was involved was against Malta in the recent World Cup qualifier.”
McGibbon, who made an impressive debut in today’s 3-2 triumph over Luton Town feels that he has joined a club that could be playing second division football next season.
"I have played against Scunthorpe a few times for Wigan and they have some good players,” he said.
"Last weekend I watched the game against Oxford and had a look around the ground, they have a lot of up and coming players.
"Automatic promotion is not out of the question, but we have a lot of tough games coming up."
If Pat does feature for Northern Ireland whislt with United, he will be only the club's second ever player to receive international honours whilst still with the club.
Brian Quailey became the first recently, when he represented St Kitts And Nevis.
The club have a long history of developing international players, with England stars Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence both starting their careers at the Old Showground.