Jack Moylan made a pointed statement with his goal celebration after scoring for the Republic of Ireland against Israel. The Cardiff City attacker removed his black armband, kissed it and raised it into the air after firing Ireland into a 3-0 lead in Sunday's Nations League clash in Debrecen, Hungary.
Rapid-fire scoring spell
Moylan's goal came in the 25th minute, completing a remarkable 12-minute spell in which Ireland struck three times. Troy Parrott had opened the scoring before Adam Idah doubled the advantage, with Moylan then adding the third after picking up a loose ball and finding the bottom corner.
But it was what the Cardiff City player did immediately afterwards that drew particular attention. Moylan ran towards the corner before taking off the black armband worn by the Ireland players for the match in tribute to those who have lost their lives in the Israel-Palestine conflict. He kissed the armband before also kissing the Ireland crest on his shirt.
Booing from Israeli supporters
The gesture was met by loud boos from the Israeli supporters in attendance, according to The 42. The match had taken place against an extraordinary backdrop, with Ireland's decision to fulfil the fixture coming after days of intense debate within the squad.
Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu ultimately withdrew from the squad after expressing his discomfort about playing the game. FAI chief executive David Courell explained before kick-off that the squad had held lengthy discussions about whether to travel to Hungary.
Lengthy squad discussions
"The squad were in Pristina yesterday. An extensive conversation took place where ultimately the consensus from the group was to travel to Hungary," he said. "That was something that we all entered into this window with our intention to fulfil these fixtures and that was the consensus that the group finished on at the end of that two-hour meeting yesterday."
"This morning a player (now confirmed to be Bazunu) expressed their discomfort with fulfilling this fixture to the head coach and indicated their intent to withdraw from the squad. As you can understand, this new variable required time and deliberation for the rest of the squad to consider."
"What proceeded was another four hours of conversations, predominantly amongst the players themselves but also at times with the coaching staff and at times with the executive."
Unusual pre-match scenes
There were further signs of the unusual circumstances before kick-off. The Irish players did not take part in the customary handshakes with their Israeli opponents and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson had acknowledged beforehand that the situation had been difficult for his players. "It's been tough on everyone," he said. "But I mostly feel for the players that just want to play football and are somewhere in between... In between decisions and other things, so I just feel for the players that came here to play football and represent their country."
