Anthony Stokes thanked Roy Keane for giving him the chance to make up for his late show.
The striker's two-match exile ended when he was recalled to start Saturday's 2-0 home win over Hull City.
Stokes was one of three players axed after missing the team bus before it headed to Barnsley the weekend before last. He said: "It was great to be back involved in the squad.
"I've worked hard since missing the bus – I've been getting into training early and working hard.
"That's all I could do. It was up to the gaffer after that and I have to thank him for putting me back in."
Keane had made it clear that the matter was history and that all three players had served their punishment.
Stokes said: "He told us in no uncertain terms that it's not acceptable. It was our fault because we did a stupid thing.
"The gaffer's a fair fella and has not held a grudge. It was a wake-up call for me – it has stopped me being late and I'm working a lot harder in training.
"After he spoke with us, he said that was the end of the matter – if we got our heads and worked hard, we would be back in contention.
"He made it clear that lateness was not acceptable at the club.
The standards he is setting here are beyond what they were at the start of the season when we were not winning games." Stokes now departs for Ireland's World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Slovakia at Croke Park.
And he leaves a club that laid down another marker in the race for the Premiership, Saturday bringing up a 13th unbeaten game.
The 18-year-old said: "There is still a lot of work to be done. The seven games left are all vital and we'll work our socks off.
"I think we're all confident. We're doing the business and if we continue that, there's nothing we can do about the results of the other clubs that are looking for promotion.
"We have to keep giving 100 per cent."
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