Behind the scenes at Ireland's media day

"Lads, please, can one of you help me out by saying a line in Chinese to camera?" It was the Republic of Ireland's pre-EURO media day in Dublin this week and while a group of Irish players were enjoying a light-hearted chat as they waited their turn to be officially filmed and photographed, I interrupted them with my request.

I can't be sure that a tumbleweed didn't lightly bounce between me and several of Ireland's footballing heroes during those few moments, but the feeling of relief on hearing the words, "Yeah, go on, I'll do it," will live with me for some time. Thank you Jon Walters.

A nation wanted to hug the Stoke City forward after his goals in Ireland's UEFA EURO 2016 play-off win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I wanted to embrace the man for helping me now. "Ni hao zhong guo! – hello China!" Nailed it.

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All 24 teams that qualified for UEFA EURO 2016 will host a media day ahead of the finals. Among other tasks, every player, coach and assistant will be filmed performing a 'walk on' in front of a blue screen and you will see the results of these when you watch the games on television this summer. A photo session is carried out and sit-down interviews are also sought on what is a busy day for all concerned.

As UEFA.com's Republic of Ireland correspondent for the finals, I was sent along to the Castleknock Hotel and Country Club on a gloriously sunny morning in Dublin with a lengthy checklist of requests to be ticked.

It was shortly after lunchtime when the doors to the hotel conference room – transformed into a mini film studio – burst open. Midfielder James McClean was the first to arrive, changing into his Ireland kit as he moved. The crew jumped into action and we were under way.

After McClean came Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Daryl Murphy, and so on. Each player followed the director's instructions perfectly. "Look down the camera, take two steps forward, fold your arms and hold the pose." Serious expressions abounded. Next, it was over to the photographer for some stills.

Suddenly, there was someone lining up in front of the camera in a goalkeeper shirt whose physique didn't quite match the athletes who had come before him. The crew scratched their heads. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" the director asked politely. "I'm Superman," the figure responded.

Of course, it was Ireland kitman Dick Redmond, who famously dressed up as the man of steel following Ireland's play-off victory last November. "Tell me they're not my shorts he's wearing," Ireland keeper Darren Randolph pleaded.

Later that evening, I interviewed Ireland coach Martin O'Neill who spoke eloquently of the challenge facing the Boys in Green in France in a few weeks. Despite saying that his team will have their work cut out for them in a group containing Sweden, Belgium and Italy, O'Neill added that qualifying for the knockout stages will be Ireland's aim.

Paul Bryan's saviour: Jon Walters ahead of the pack in training©Sportsfile