September 8th 2024.
Before England's victory over the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, Lee Carsley made the decision not to sing God Save The King, the national anthem. As a former Premier League manager, Harry Redknapp believes that this is something that must change for future England games.
Carsley, who took over as manager for Gareth Southgate, stated that he has never sung national anthems as a player or even as the England Under-21 manager. Despite playing 40 times for the Republic of Ireland, Carsley has never felt the urge to join in on the anthem. However, Redknapp strongly believes that this needs to change if Carsley wants to continue leading the team.
"As a proud Englishman and patriot, I believe singing the national anthem is important," Redknapp expressed to The Sun. "No matter where you're from, if you're in charge of an English team, you should sing it. In most circumstances, at least."
Redknapp understands that the recent game against the Republic of Ireland may have been different due to the history between the two teams. "I accept that Lee may have had a problem and was caught in a difficult situation," he stated. However, in a regular game against teams like Spain or France, Redknapp believes it is a must for the England manager to sing the anthem, regardless of their background.
When asked about his decision not to sing the national anthem, Carsley explained, "This is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland." He described the gap between warming up, walking onto the pitch, and then waiting for the anthems to be played. "I was always really focused on the game and my first actions on the pitch," Carsley continued.
This mindset has carried over into his coaching career, even with the Under-21 team. "During the national anthem, I am in a zone, thinking about the opposition and our strategy for the game," Carsley shared. "I fully respect both anthems and understand their significance to both countries. It's something that I am very respectful of."
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