Lee Carsley refuses to sing anthem before Ireland v England match

Lee Carsley kept his promise to remain silent during the England national anthem in his first game as caretaker manager, with God Save The King booed by the home fans at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Carsley, who has been capped 40 times by the Republic of Ireland, said on the eve of the UEFA Nations League clash that he had no intention of singing the pre-match anthem, something he has never done as a player or as England Under-21s coach.

The 50-year-old explained that he was always focused on the game at hand rather than the national anthems.

He first went to the Irish bench after leaving the dressing room, then headed to the England bench with his coaching staff at his side, while the players lined up on the pitch for the England and Irish anthems.

Carsley’s starting 11-man squad for the Nations League opener were seen singing the lyrics to God Save The King.

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It was the first clash in Dublin since 2015, when the game was moved to lunchtime due to public safety concerns. That match nine years ago was England’s first visit to Dublin since their infamous 1995 fixture was abandoned due to public unrest.

Carsley’s stance on the national anthem dominated coverage of the match before kick-off. “It’s something I always struggled with when I played for Ireland,” he explained. “The time lag between the warm-up, coming on to the pitch and the time lag with the anthems. It’s something I’ve never done.”

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Ahead of kick-off, Carsley reiterated his decision on ITV: “It’s a very proud position for me and my family, I’m really looking forward to the game. I have so much respect for both national anthems and I’ll be proud to see them. It’s a real proud moment.”

“Everyone has the right to their opinion. When I made my debut in 1996 or 1997, I was totally focused on the game. I had a hard time getting used to the time difference. I took advantage of that time to concentrate and I haven’t changed since I became a coach.”

The late Sven-Goran Eriksson said he sang God Save The Queen when he was England’s first foreign manager, while Fabio Capello said he would not sing the England anthem.

Southgate sang the anthem with his coaches, and his players often sang along enthusiastically in the moments before kick-off.

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