Republic of Ireland captain Nathan Collins speaks after returning from injury, detailing the mental battle of a calf setback, his push to regain rhythm at Brentford, and his hunger to get back to full minutes.

With Austria next up, Collins breaks down what makes them such a tough, high-energy opponent — and why Ireland believe they can hurt them if they match that intensity and stay switched on.

The manager also discusses selection headaches, yellow-card suspensions, squad depth, and the “growth mindset” changes introduced this camp as Ireland chase consistency — and two wins to top the group.

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