England interim boss Lee Carsley has risked infuriating fans after opting against singing the national anthem as the Three Lions face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
Carsley took to the dugout at the Aviva Stadium for the first time as England manager for Saturday’s Nations League opener.
The match is expected to be the start of a six-game trial for Carsley, which could lead to him being permanently promoted from his role as Under-21 head coach.
Carsley, was born in Birmingham but represented the Republic of Ireland at senior international level, had confirmed ahead of the match that he would not sing God Save the King.
The 50-year-old insisted he would be too focused on the game ahead, and on Saturday afternoon, he was true to his word, staring straight ahead as the anthem was loudly booed by the home supporters.
Carsley (second from left) admitted he has struggled to sing anthems before matches
Born in Birmingham, Carsley went on to represent the Republic of Ireland at international level
‘This (singing the anthem) is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland,’ Carsley said on Friday.
‘The gap between your warm-up, you’re coming on to the pitch and the delay with the anthems. So it’s something that I have never done.
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‘I was always really focused on the game and my first actions of the game. I really found that in that period I was wary about my mind wandering off.
‘I was really focused on the football and I have taken that into coaching.
‘We had the national anthem with the Under 21s also and I am in a zone at that point. I am thinking about how the opposition are going to set up and our first actions within the game.
‘I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries.’
Former England international Mark Wright claimed he ‘doesn’t understand where Carsley is coming from’.
Writing in Mail Sport, Wright said it felt patriotic to sing the national anthem during his 45 cap international career.
He drew a comparison to the pride shown by Carsley’s predecessor Gareth Southgate in singing the national anthem, stating that ‘deep down supporters want an English manager who will sing the anthem as proudly as any of his players.’
Carsley (centre) had previously not sung the anthem as head coach of the England Under-21s
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‘You have to accept the stance other people take, but ideally it would be better if everybody showed their feelings to the country, including the manager,’ Wright wrote.
‘That’s what I believe. It is a touchy subject in this day and age. We are all built differently.
‘Maybe Lee doesn’t want to show disrespect for the Republic of Ireland team he once played for.
‘He took a stance because he thought he wouldn’t get a chance in the England set-up as a player, and in life you have to respect other people’s decisions.’
talkSPORT presenter Jamie O’Hare went further by claiming Carsley had already ‘lost the entire’ nation’ before a ball had even been kicked.
‘What’s people take on Carsley not wanting to sing the national anthem?,’ O’Hara began.
‘That to me is ok cya later then, you’ve just lost the entire nation before you’ve even kicked a ball, thanks for coming Lee’.
