England interim boss Lee Carsley‘s audition for the top job has been overshadowed after making the shock confession he does not intend to sing the national anthem.

Carsley will take charge of the national team against the Republic of ­Ireland for the opening game of what is set to be a six-match trial in his efforts to become Gareth Southgate‘s full-time successor. 

But Carsley has risked infuriating England supporters by claiming he will not sing God Save the King before the Nations League fixture in Dublin because he will be too focused on the game. 

Carsley, who was born in Birmingham but represented the Republic of Ireland at senior international level, said: ‘This (singing the anthem) is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland.

‘The gap between your warm-up, you’re coming on to the pitch and the delay with the anthems. So it’s something that I have never done. I was always really focused 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.’

Meanwhile, axed Euro 2024 stars Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish are set to play from the beginning. Carsley is also considering starting Anthony Gordon, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is finally set to play in his preferred right-back position.