Republic of Ireland defender Dara O'Shea said he feels "proud" of the resilience the squad showed in battling back to secure an unlikely play-off spot after a disastrous loss to Armenia early in the group.
The after-glow of last Sunday's stunning comeback win in Budapest has barely abated but tomorrow Heimir Hallgrimsson's side will find out who they'll facing in the play-offs next March, with Ireland landed in Pot 3 and grouped to face one of Wales, Czechia, Slovakia or Poland away from home in the semi-final.
It seemed an unlikely prospect after the first window back in September, when Ireland imploded in shocking fashion in Yerevan and were fortunate to only lose 2-1, the ashen-faced manager admitting afterwards that they would need a miracle to progress from the group.
The miracle arrived in the past week, with Ireland turning over Portugal and Hungary, Troy Parrott's winning goal at the death triggering a wave of euphoria back home.
"The scenes you saw on the pitch was just pure emotion and joy," Dubliner O'Shea told Marie Crowe on RTÉ Radio 1's Inside Sport.
"It's something that a lot of us haven't really ever felt. I've been playing with a lot of the lads since I was young and have come through the age groups with them. To have a moment like that was special. Lots of the lads' families were there, and my Dad was out there. There were the away fans up in the heavens.
"It's powerful, it really is and even watching back the videos myself, it almost makes me emotional seeing the happiness and the pride that people have. It's amazing.
"As a kid you grow up supporting Ireland and you get a few of them moments. I remember when I was there in [Euro] 2016 and Robbie scored that goal against Italy, and I suppose the moment I had on Sunday was the closest feeling I had to that since then.
"I understand how everyone feels, I'm a fan first and foremost. It's amazing how a moment like that can lift the nation and bring everyone together."
Amid all the videos floating around, the FAI released one of Hallgrimsson speaking to the players in the dressing-room where he spoke about the importance of looking back at those who supported them at tough moments during the qualification campaign, observing that "we all have a lot of friends when we win."
The 2-1 loss in Armenia was uppermost in his thoughts, and O'Shea admitted that it was a career low.
"That Armenia away game was probably one of the toughest moments I've had on a football pitch. And probably the worst I've felt afterwards too.
"[It was] really challenging for us as a group, you know. It's hard to not hear the noise around on social media and people writing us off and stuff like that.
"It's tough to take at times, but also I think us as a group, we've almost used that as our motivation too.
"Football's easy when you're winning games. It's tough when you're losing games and it takes a lot for a team to come out of that mentality of losing games and to turn it on its head and turn it into a positive.
"I'm really proud of everything that the management and the players have done in this campaign to get where we are."
O'Shea said he was in awe of the manager's cool disposition, saying he deserved the result as much as anyone.
"[He's] really calm, honestly. I think it's kind of certified more for me now after the win how calm he was, still.
"He deserves this too. Obviously, after that Armenia game, there was a lot said about everyone.
"He's found a way to get that confidence back within ourselves. I think it's been amazing.
"All the lads are loving playing for their country right now and a lot of that's down to him too."
Cristiano Ronaldo is given a red card after a VAR review for an elbow
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Mimicked tears, a clash with the Ireland manager and an all-time send-off from the crowd follow. Dublin is no longer "lovely" for him
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Three days prior to the win in Budapest, O'Shea was a key figure in one of the centre-piece moments of the shock 2-0 victory over Portugal, when Cristiano Ronaldo lashed out an elbow at the Ipswich Town defender and was subsequently sent off following a VAR check.
Since the incident, O'Shea admits he has attracted the attention of the Portuguese star's army of online fans, though it wasn't a cause of much distress.
"Yeah, not the best. Ronaldo's not the player to mess with. You know all about it on the phone afterwards!
"But it is what it is. It's football. Look, I think he understands that himself, first and foremost. The game's the game.
"I was trying to do whatever I can for my country. I think at the time we were really frustrating him and them as group.
"So, yeah, the less I say, the better maybe..."
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