Nathan Collins bats away Israel question: 'We've to trust the FAI and Government'

Collins said he would have no issue if individual players opted out of Ireland's Nations League games against Israel later this year

Ireland captain Nathan Collin said discussions between players regarding the Nations League games against Israel will take place when senior members are together. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Ireland captain Nathan Collins says his team will trust the FAI and Government to do the right thing when it comes to the Uefa Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn.

Consistent calls to boycott the games have flowed since the draw was made in February, the latest from newly elected Social Democrats TD Daniel Ennis on the steps of Leinster House on Tuesday morning.

Ireland centurion James McClean and former team manager Brian Kerr are amongst the figureheads backing the Stop The Game campaign – which is due to hold further public protests this week.

The FAI insists the games – firstly on neutral territory in Debrecen on September 27 and in Dublin on October 4 – will proceed despite the opposition being found by the United Nations to have committed genocide on the people of Gaza.

Collins, who also skippers Premier League club Brentford, admits discussions will take place among players when the senior members are finally together but the 25-year-old indicated collective action wasn’t planned.

He’d have no issue if individual players opted out of the games based on their personal moral stance.

“There will be something for the players to talk about,” said Collins ahead of Thursday’s friendly against Qatar at Lansdowne Road.

“It's been tough, though, because the squads have been so split. You've had a lot of senior players last camp and a lot of different amounts here so we all need to be there together at once.

“For players, we just have to trust the FAI and the Government that they know what they're doing.

You know, we're picked to represent our country and it's a tough situation for us to be in but we have to trust the people around us know what they are doing.

He added: “What we’d speak about is hard to say because you need the whole group together.

"But if individuals want to take a stand, we are not going to stand against them, we are not going to hold them back.

“They are entitled to their own opinions. If they are very strong about that, we can’t stop them.”