Jon Walters battled as Jon Walters always battled but, speaking to RTÉ after the game, he sounded like a beaten man.
The 32-year-old who top scored in qualifying failed to impose himself against Sweden and, any Irish fan with eyes in their head at Stade de France could tell the Stoke attacker wasn’t right.
It now looks very likely that the Achilles injury that has been troubling Walters in the run up to the tournament may well put paid to his Euro 2016 hopes.
The injury that he hoped had healed flared up in the first minute and somehow battled on for another 63 minutes before being replaced by James McClean.
Irish fans swarm Paris with glorious Jon Walters tributes #IRL https://t.co/SCJhRcwG7t
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 13, 2016
“I felt it after one minute and couldn’t really sprint or jump so it wasn’t great so I got through it and hoped it would settle down in the 2nd half after a couple of runs but it just tightened up even worse and I did the right thing to come off,” he told Tony O’Donoghue.
Martin O’Neill has cancelled training for Tuesday and will be hopeful the rest will help but it is highly unlikely Walters will be fit to play any part against Belgium in Bordeaux.
“It’s not as bad as when I first hurt it but it all depends how it settles down. Training was good the last couple of days and I thought it would be okay, but it’s just one of those things.”
However back in the studio, Johnny Giles had a more depressing prognosis.
“I would doubt he could play again in this tournament. It’s a dreadful injury. Very, very painful and very hard to heal.
How he played after a minute I don’t know. It shows you what a good-hearted lad he is. He’s a big loss for the Irish team.”
You can say that again, Johnny.
On RTE’s highlights show, Kenny Cunningham also said he believed that Walters’ tournament would be over.
