England’s Lee Carsley puts mixed feelings firmly behind him

06-Sep-2024 21:30:01 | Guardian

Interim manager takes charge for the first time against Ireland, the nation he won 40 caps with as a player

Lee Carsley has never pretended otherwise. When England first came calling, he was torn. It was September 2015, he had a coaching role at Brentford and the England Under-19 manager, Aidy Boothroyd, wanted him as his assistant. “When I was asked to do it, the first thing I thought was: ‘Well, I’m Irish … how does that look?’” Carsley told Shane Keegan’s excellent How To Win At Dominoes podcast in June 2020.

It is impossible to prescribe how the individual with dual nationality ought to feel with regard to their heritage. Each case is nuanced, deeply personal. Carsley was born and raised in Birmingham and so England is a significant part of him. As is Ireland, where his maternal grandmother is from (specifically, Dunmanway in County Cork).