England coach after win over Ireland: It’s the proudest day of my career

Interim England coach Lee Carsley praised his players for delivering a smooth passing performance in their first match under his leadership. He described the comfortable 2-0 win over Ireland in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday as the proudest day of his footballing career.

Carsley, who has been coaching England’s under-21 team since 2021 and led them to victory in the European U21 Championship last year, is in charge of the senior team for two matches this month, with the possibility of staying on until the fall while England searches for a new coach to replace Gareth Southgate.

“I’m lucky to coach these players,” said Carsley, the former Everton midfielder, in a post-match press conference. “The players deserve a lot of credit for how they executed things we discussed, like moving the ball forward quickly, running ahead, and trying to break through. I think they performed really well.”

Carsley also addressed criticism from some English newspapers about his decision not to sing the national anthem, saying he doesn’t believe that affects his or anyone else’s commitment. He added, “I was really looking forward to this day. It’s the proudest day of my footballing career,” noting that he had prepared as best as possible for facing a team he played for 40 times internationally.