LONDON, Sept 7 —New England interim manager Lee Carsley has confirmed that he will not be singing ‘God Save the King’ ahead of his first match in charge.
Speaking to the The Mirror, Carsley explained that this decision has nothing to do with his previous representation of the Republic of Ireland during his playing career.
Carsley, who was born in Birmingham but qualified to play for Ireland through his grandmother, said he never sang the national anthem during his playing days and does not plan to start now.
The former Everton midfielder made it clear that he is too focused on game preparations to engage in the pre-match tradition.
“It’s something I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland,” Carsley was quoted saying.
“The gap between the warm-up and the anthem made me wary of my mind wandering off. I’ve taken that into coaching as well.”
The decision may upset some England fans, as former manager Gareth Southgate always sang the anthem. However, Carsley insists his focus remains on preparing for the game, not the anthem.
Under Carsley’s leadership, England’s under-21 team secured European Championship success last year. Despite his previous experience, the interim boss remained silent during the anthem for those matches as well, citing the same reasons.
“I fully respect both anthems and understand their importance, but I’m in the zone at that moment,” Carsley told The Mirror.
England face the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League on Saturday at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Nearly 3,000 England fans are expected to attend, with no special instructions issued to prevent inflammatory chants.
