England interim manager Lee Carsley has suggested that he will not sing the national anthem — just as he did not when he played for the Republic of Ireland or as the Under-21 manager of the Three Lions.
Carsley takes charge of the England senior team for the first time on Saturday against Republic of Ireland, the country he made 40 appearances for as a player.
But, despite being born in Birmingham and winning the European Championship as Under-21 manager last summer, Carsley has intimated that he will not sing God Save the King with his players inside the Aviva Stadium.
Asked if he will sing the English national anthem on Saturday, or the Irish anthem, Carsley said: “This is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland. The gap between your warm-up, your coming on to the pitch and the delay with the anthems. So it’s something that I have never done.
“I was always really focussed 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. It’s something I am really respectful of.”
Asked to confirm if he ever sings the anthem, Carsley added: “No (I don’t).
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