Blues skipper Dara O’Shea admits he and his teammates in the Republic of Ireland squad “feel exposed” having been put in a “tough position” ahead of their controversial Nations League games against Israel.

Ireland face Israel in Hungary on Sunday with the return match set be played behind closed doors in Serbia a week later.

Despite widespread protests in Ireland, the FAI voted to play the two games, leaving O’Shea, who is stand-in captain during this international break, and his fellow players to come under pressure to withdraw in recent days.

Midfielder Jason Knight has said he believes the matches shouldn’t be going ahead with the squad having held a meeting yesterday to discuss their thoughts about the matches with the suggestion that they will opt to donate their match fees of €2,000 (£1,700) per game to a humanitarian charity.

“As soon as the game was decided by the FAI, the Government and UEFA, we were always going to be put in a tough position,” O’Shea said.

“We feel exposed, obviously. It’s come down to us as such at the end. We knew that was going to be the case and we knew this was going to come our way.

“I keep saying it’s a difficult situation because it is for us, but we understand the severity of it too.

“There’s young lads in the group and lads who probably haven’t been used to anything like this. I haven’t either, so that’s saying something as one of the more experienced boys.

“It’s a tough position but I think once the decision was made from above and higher than us, it was always going to fall back on us eventually and it has and that’s that and we’ve got to now find what we think is right and speak about it together and then come to whatever sort of agreement that we do.

“I’ve never really had to deal with something like this before and, of course, there’s pressure. There’s pressure from all angles and I get that and I need to deliver and, obviously, represent the team in the right way.

“It’s been challenging, it’s not been easy, there has been stress there, but that’s football and I’m well aware of what I signed up for being a footballer and that’s part-and-parcel of it. I’ve got to try and take it in my stride if I can.”

O’Shea finds himself leading the squad during the furore as regular skipper Nathan Collins is out injured, while experienced duo Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady were omitted from the squad as they are currently without clubs.

“It’s an important matter,” the 27-year-old said. “We are footballers and our job is to play football, so that’s all we’ve been taught to do.

“It’s hard to come by this, but we get it, we understand we’re going to come together and we’re going to speak and we’re going to let the room be open.

“It’s important that everyone can have their say and find out what people’s thoughts and feelings are and come to a decision as one.”

He added: “I’ve been getting people’s opinions my whole career: [That I’m] good enough/not good enough/whatever..

“This is obviously different. We all have social media, we’re all open to that. It’s hard for young lads nowadays to stay off their phone, but we have tried our best to do that.

“There’s some young lads in the group and it’s tough for them, some boys who have stepped into this for the first time and haven’t experienced international football.

“This is their first taste of it is which is obviously hard for them but it’s the matter going on and it can’t be brushed over.

“I understand the situation, I understand the severity. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. It’s the way it is, it’s the way of football.

“I think you’ve got to take it at times. Like I said, it doesn’t really necessarily matter what my opinion is, it’s about the group’s decision. We’ve got to come together as one and navigate that ourselves.”

On-loan Blues winger Chieo Ogbene, who is with Lincoln City for the season, feels the players shouldn’t be the ones answering questions about the matches.

“I am a practising Catholic and I have morals. I do not agree with what is happening,” he said. “I feel sorry for the civilians and that is where my heart is, the people who are being affected.

“I am not an idiot, I see some messages, fans have made their opinions heard, but I try not to read as much as I can.

“If the game goes ahead, that does not mean we are best friends with Israel. It is the Israeli government who are making decisions. These questions, I’ll be honest with you, the best people to answer them are in UEFA, not us. That’s the honest truth.”

Photo: Reuters