Given expresses sympathy for Wilson after Euro 2016 blow

Shay Given has expressed sympathy for his compatriot and Stoke City team-mate Marc Wilson after the defender was ruled out of Euro 2016.

Wilson had been named in Martin O'Neill's provisional 35-man panel ahead of warm-up friendly games against the Netherlands and Belarus, but the Ireland boss revealed that the 28-year-old suffered a set-back with a knee injury.

Given, who has been in rehabilitation with Wilson for the last couple of months as he battled his own injury problems, said it was "a big shame" that the Antrim native will not be on the plane to France.

"I’ve worked with Marc myself for long periods in the gym this season as well so he was really pushing hard [to get back]," Given told reporters.

"I thought he still had a chance at going so he must have had a little bit more of a setback with his medial knee problem and he was pushing hard to get fit for the summer.

"It’s a big shame for him because he was doing everything he could to be fit, but I suppose the summer will give him a chance to be back for the pre-season and he’ll want to push hard to get back for the World Cup qualifiers in September."

Wilson had only played in four Premier League games all season for Stoke, but with Ireland’s tournament opener against Sweden just three weeks away, O’Neill made the decision to remove him from his plans this summer.