HARRY Arter revealed how he had battled through the pain barrier in a bid to get to Euro 2016 and insisted he felt privileged despite missing out on the Republic of Ireland squad.

Arter was widely reported to have sustained a calf injury in training nine days ago but the Cherries midfielder admitted he had initially picked up the problem four days previously.

The 26-year-old turned in a man-of-the-match display against the Netherlands 24 hours after suffering the injury and appeared to have done his selection prospects the power of good.

However, the former Woking man was forced out of the reckoning prior to last week's friendly clash with Belarus, in which club-mate Eunan O'Kane featured as a late substitute.

Arter told the Daily Echo: "I initially suffered the injury in training the day before the Holland game. I felt something in my quad but I thought 'I'll try and get through the game and, hopefully, it will go away'.

"I strapped my quad up quite tight, took some painkillers and got on with it. During the game it didn't feel too bad and the next day it felt okay so I thought I would be alright.

"Over the weekend I was hoping it would pass. I knew there was a slight problem but I thought it was maybe just a little twinge.

"Unfortunately, on the Monday I came to the realisation it wasn't going to go away.

"Of course there is massive disappointment and the realisation I am going to miss the tournament through injury. But when I think about my career as a whole, I feel very privileged to be in this position.

"I know there is so much more to come from myself. It gives me a lot of confidence to even be able to say that I just missed out on the Euros with an injury.

"I'm so excited for the start of pre-season."

Arter insists he will be a keen observer when the Euros get under way on Friday, despite his personal disappointment.

He said: "I will watch it with the same sort of excitement I always have. I think everyone loves it when the Euros are on.

"Of course, there is going to be part of me that thinks, 'I could have been playing' but I am genuinely focused on the future. I'm not one to look back.

"I've dealt with a few hardships in my life and missing the Euros is not the end of the world.

"Thankfully, it's a small injury which will be fine within the next two or three weeks.

"Missing the Euros feels no different to me than the disappointment I had at missing a league game last season. That is hand-on-heart true.

"What I love about my life is playing football and I hate missing out on any game, no matter what level it is."