'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.

“But we’re well protected and you have to have faith in the security and the French services. They are trained in this. That’s what they do. We play football and they keep people safe.”

Martin O’Neill, his squad and backroom staff flew into Paris on Wednesday ahead of their opening game, against Sweden, at Stade de France, which was targeted by Islamist terrorists last November.

Yesterday’s training, the squad’s first on French soil, was an open session which was attended by close to a 1,000 people, mostly local schoolchildren but with a smattering of green jerseys as well.

Security was tight with some roads closed and armed policemen patrolling the perimeter. Journalists seeking to gain entry were required to pass through four layers of security personnel, although life continues more or less unaffected in Versailles itself.

The hope is that such normality continues.