Ireland captain on meeting Israel: "a difficult period"

In depth

Darragh O'Shea, who served as Ireland's captain against Israel in the Nations League, spoke about the tense period the team went through in October. According to him, it was a difficult period, and he is proud of the players and the staff for the way they dealt with the pressure.

The squad prepared for two matches against Israel during the October international window. The first match was played in Hungary and ended 3-0 in Ireland's favour. The day before, it was unclear whether the game would take place, after the team's training was delayed while the players held a vote on whether to play, against the backdrop of protests over the war in Gaza.

O'Shea said he thinks that as a group they handled the situation excellently. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was also involved in the discussions around the decision, according to the details provided.