Nathan Collins is ready to step up into a leadership role with Ireland for tomorrow night’s Nations League clash with Finland, and the Brentford defender said that many more within the squad are also primed to take the team forward.
Ireland’s disappointing run of results has been well documented since Stephen Kenny took over the side back in 2020, and now with a new manager at the helm, Collins believes the time is right to get the team back to winning ways.
Following the two defeats to England and Greece in September, Heimir Hallgrimsson felt that the jersey was too heavy for some, while there has also been external criticism from former players regarding the current squad.
But Collins maintains that the quality exists throughout the squad to create a winning mentality, and that belief was certainly backed up by the manager ahead of the game, stating that the players were in a much better place to perform coming into the double header with Finland and Greece.
"It's been very a very positive week, we've had a lot of meetings, we've had to, it's part and parcel of international football," said Collins, speaking at the pre-match press conference.
"I think the work we have done on the pitch has been very productive, we're looking forward to go now and we have a good feeling this week, we feel a lot better, we know our ways around what the gaffer wants again and there's been a better feeling this week."
Collins will captain the side in Seamus Coleman's absence, having been handed the armband when the Everton defender was forced off injured against England last month.
The Leixlip man also led the team out for the Greece game and while he kept his emotions in check throughout that particularly proud moment, he said there were tears up in the stands from his onlooking family.
"Obviously, it’s a huge moment for me and my family," said Collins. "I probably didn’t take in the moment as much as I should have, but that’s just the way I am.
"My family did, I think they were crying in the stand, honestly, it means a lot to me and my family."
And while Collins had the support of his clan at the Aviva, he knows that he has the backing of a host of team-mates who are ready to fight alongside and lead the team throughout the October window.
"I think in this camp, it’s nearly easy being a captain of this team as there are so many leaders," said Collins.
"I could go through this team and you could name six or seven boys who would help me out, chip in, talk, motivate, and it makes my job easier.
"We’re missing a few of the older boys, past leaders, and it is time for boys to step up and time for us to start showing our leadership.
"We know what is happening, we know what we need to do, it is just about doing it on the pitch. Getting boys ready for meetings, just being professional, getting everybody going and making sure the standards are as high as possible."
Collins also addressed the notion of the players lacking belief in the Ireland jersey, and while he does not feel there is an issue of confidence, he admits that it is a frustration that the team is not delivering on the quality of the sum of its parts.
"I don't think it is a lack of confidence," he said. "It is fairly frustrating, it is annoying, we are eager to make it right.
"I think there is a lot of frustration within the lads as we know, as a group, we are a good team, we have good players.
"We see the level of individuals at club level, and lots of players are flying at the minute.
"I think the frustration is over [the fact that] we can't get that result. This week has felt better as a group, talking to the lads, the information we are taking in, how we've been training, everything does feel better. We are looking forward to the game."
"Of course, we’re all Irish, we’re all footballers, we all want to win every game with Ireland," he added in relation to the comments from Glenn Whelan, who said that there was a lack of belief in the team with too many players too used to losing matches.
"We’ve always said it’s a dream to play for Ireland," said Collins. "It’s a dream to qualify for tournaments, it’s a dream to push this team to the next level.
"I said after the last game there was a lot of talk in the dressing room between the lads, it wasn’t nice, it was a tough chat as a group," he added, addressing his own comments after the last game where he said the players were sick of losing.
"We’ve been speaking this week as well about how much we want to win, how much we want to get over that line, get that good feeling back, back into the country, and you know as a group we are all sick of it, and we are all getting frustrated as I said before.
"But as I said again, there has been a better feeling going into it so we are looking forward to the game."
And looking ahead to the match, Collins was reminded of his wonder-goal on the road during the previous Nations League campaign when he scored against Ukraine in the match that was played in Lodz in Poland due to the ongoing war in the region.
Collins was asked whether he would take another such strike or a clean sheet in Helsinki.
"I'll take both," he said with a smile.
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