It can't be easy to continue playing in a match where one of your teammates and good friends suffers an injury of the severity of the one that Seamus Coleman received on Friday night.
Not only knowing that someone you care about will be out of the game for a significant amount of time, but also the thought that it could have been you has to be immensely difficult to overcome and refocus on the game, and that would have been even more true for John O'Shea who himself nearly had his leg broken moments before the challenge on Coleman.
Speaking to Off The Ball on Monday night, O'Shea discussed the Gareth Bale challenge and the reaction of the Welshman afterwards, before he explained what it was like to have to continue playing the game after what had happened to Seamus Coleman.
I think the next five minutes it's on your mind without a doubt, then the game kind of naturally takes over if you know what I mean.
Obviously, Cyrus [Christie] comes on to replace Seamus and then you're thinking 'OK, we're getting more of the ball here', you're starting to create more chances. Aiden comes on, and you're thinking it would be great to get this goal to win.
It's obviously such an important game to win, but if we had gotten the three points, not that it's going to make up for Seamus, but it would be fitting for him if we were able to get a win.
But now we have to, for him, for Seamus, get to that World Cup. For everyone in the country, but for him now after what has happened it will be a big thing, you know?
O'Shea also claimed that he didn't feel that the game was unusually physical, and revealed that Bale was eager to let him know that he had not intended to catch him in the way he did.
He also gave us an insight into how the mood was in the dressing room post-match, where obviously Coleman's health was the main concern.
Yeah without a doubt [it's what everyone is talking about].
Because obviously some lads, say the younger generation, are onto their phones and there's pictures and images. Some lads are looking at it, other lads don't want to know and that type of thing.
I didn't want to see it initially, it's just one of them things and you're checking wanting to find out how he was, where he is after going, was his family OK and were they able to see him.
It must have been very difficult with all of the players wanting to know exactly what had happened and also where Coleman was going and if they could visit him.
The respect that his fellow professionals hold for Coleman has been abundantly clear since Friday night as if it wasn't already well known. O'Shea's insistence that the group now are determined to qualify for the World Cup for him is great to hear.
The Waterford man also stated his belief that if anyone has the intestinal fortitude to come through a setback like this and be stronger for it, it's Coleman, so hopefully we can have a strong second half of the qualification round and we will all get to see him lead the side out in Russie next summer.
You can listen to O'Shea's interview with Off The Ball in full over on Newstalk.ie.
