Captain Ireland: "It was stressful to miss the games against Israel"

Ireland national team captain Nathan Collins revealed that it was stressful for him to miss the two matches against Israel in the Nations League due to injury. The defender said he felt he left his teammates alone during a tense period, against the backdrop of protests surrounding the war in Gaza.

Ireland national team captain Nathan Collins revealed that the period during which he was forced to miss the two matches against Israel in the Nations League was stressful for him. The defender, who suffered a shin injury, told a press conference that he felt he left his teammates alone during a sensitive period, characterized by protests surrounding the war in Gaza. Collins admitted that watching from the sidelines was harder than being part of the events themselves. His comments come against the backdrop of the drama before the first match, when the team's players held a vote on whether to play and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu refused to take part. Despite the complex period, Collins believes the experience bonded the team. Ireland currently sits third in Group B3 of the Nations League and needs two big performances in its remaining matches against Austria and Kosovo to keep a chance of promotion to League A.