Lee Carsley: England interim manager wins first game in charge against Ireland - after national anthem row

The temporary manager of England, Lee Carsley, has mentioned that not singing the national anthem does not mean he is any less dedicated to the team.

The coach decided not to participate in the pre-match singing of the national anthem before the team's first Nations League match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Carsley achieved his first victory as the head coach of the men's national team by defeating the Republic of Ireland 2-0. This is the same nation where he previously played 40 matches.

England's Declan Rice, who had played in three senior matches for his country, and Jack Grealish, who had previously represented Ireland in youth games, scored the goals.

A disagreement occurred after Carsley stated he would not be participating in singing the anthem before the Saturday match.

Following the Group B2 match, Carsley expressed that he valued the opinions of others but remained unaffected by the response to his decision not to participate.

He stated that his day and preparation were not impacted at all by the situation. He values people's viewpoints and although he personally has never done it, he has a strong appreciation for both national anthems.

He continued: "I have been in teams where some players passionately sing the anthem beside me, but I have also been in teams where players and coaches stay silent. I believe not singing the anthem doesn't make me or anyone else less dedicated."

Carsley hails from Birmingham, but he played for Ireland during his time as a professional athlete because of his grandmother, who comes from County Cork.

The 50-year-old ex-midfielder had already mentioned that he would not participate in the anthem - just like he always did during his career.

In Dublin, all the football players from England sang together despite the loud boos from the fans in the stadium. Additionally, many of the almost 3,000 fans who had traveled to watch the game chanted throughout the Irish national anthem.

Carsley stepped into his new role as the head coach after Gareth Southgate left, moving up from his previous position as manager of the England under-21s team.

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Talking before the game started, he described why he chose not to sing.

He mentioned that he always found it difficult when he played for Ireland because of the time between warming up, entering the pitch, and waiting for the anthems. He admitted that he has never fully adjusted to this.

I was always very concentrated on the game and the first steps I took in the game. During that time, I was careful not to let my mind stray. My main focus was on football, and I have continued this mindset in my coaching career.

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Carsley was not alone, as Ireland's new Icelandic manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson, was also not singing the Irish anthem on the sidelines for the first time since taking over from Stephen Kenny in July.

Before the game, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed that while he plans to sing the anthem, he believes that it should be a personal choice for Carsley and for everyone else.