NATHAN COLLINS SAYS there is no lingering ill-feeling with Jack Grealish following his red-card stamp on the Man City player during Wolves’ Premier League defeat immediately prior to the international break.
Collins was given a straight red card in the first-half of a 3-0 defeat earlier this month. having caught Grealish high with his studs. The Irish defender spoke to Grealish after the game, who acknowledged there was no malice in the challenge.
“Just after the game, I was outside the dressing room talking to someone and I saw him”, said Collins at a press conference ahead of Ireland’s Nations League clash against Armenia. “I spoke to him and said ‘Listen, in the tackle, I didn’t mean to go for you. I went for the ball and meant nothing by it’. “He said ‘Yes, it’s not a problem, I didn’t think you did’. It was sound and we just chatted out, nothing serious and we were both on good terms.
“It happens. Mis-timed tackle red card. Got to get on with life. If I’ve a long career, you’ll have ups and downs. I’ve come into camp. All the lads were great. Seamie [Coleman] was a good help, Macker [McClean] was a good help. I knew I’d a massive game coming up on Saturday. I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I’d a job on my hands and that’s what I wanted to do for my country.”
Collins went on to impress at Hampden Park in what proved to be a narrow 2-1 loss for Ireland in the Nations League last Saturday. Armenia visit Dublin on Tuesday for the group’s final game, in which Ireland must avoid defeat to secure their League B status and condemn Armenia to relegation instead.
The final-day stakes are disappointing for Ireland, considering that Stephen Kenny’s stated ambition was to top the group.
“I think looking at the campaign, there are two ways of looking at it”, said Collins. “You can look at results and think we could have done a lot better but then you can look at performances and say maybe one game we haven’t been at it but in most games we’ve been involved, we’ve nearly been the better team, we’ve had chances and we’ve defended well.
“It’s whatever way you want to look at it but, from my perspective, as a team, you can see every game that we’re getting better. Every game, we’re growing as a team, as a unit, players are coming in and causing other players to lose their spot because the standard of the team is really good. I think to have that in a team at this level is crucial and the longer it continues and the squad settles I think it will be really good.”
