Lee Carsley stood by his vow to stay silent during the English national anthem in his first match as interim manager, with God Save The King jeered by home fans at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Carsley, who was capped 40 times for Republic of Ireland, had stated on the eve of the Uefa Nations League clash that he did not intend to sing the pre-match anthem, which he never did as a player or as coach of England Under-21s.
The 50-year-old explained that he was always focused on the match in hand rather than the national anthems.
He initially went to the Irish dugout when he emerged from the changing rooms, then headed to the England bench with his coaching staff alongside him, while players were lined up on the pitch for the English and Irish anthems.
All 11 players in Carsley’s starting line-up for the Nations League opener were seen singing the lyrics to God Save The King.
