'A couple of times we have stopped on the bus and a few gunmen have jumped out'

Professional footballers may lead sheltered lives but the 23 players representing the Republic of Ireland at the European Championship in France are not oblivious to the terror threat that hangs over a tournament that begins this evening.

The coach journey between the squad’s Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles and their training base at Stade Montbauron takes no more than 10 minutes, yet even that small window has been enough to bring home the heightened security surrounding this event.

“A couple of times we have stopped on the bus and a few gunmen have jumped out,” said goalkeeper Shay Given yesterday after training. “It can be a little bit nerve-wracking on that front but that’s only been because there was traffic in the end.