Republic of Ireland vs England – LIVE!
England kick off the post-Gareth Southgate era as they travel to take on Ireland in their opening Nations League match. Lee Carsley, who made 40 appearances for Ireland as a player, will be in the dugout for the Three Lions, with his interim spell in charge serving as an audition of sorts for the full-time job.
This is England’s first match since the Euro 2024 final, when they were narrowly beaten by Spain. Relegation in the Nations League two years ago means they have now dropped down to League B, facing Ireland, Finland and Greece in Group B2. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish both start in Dublin, and are set to receive a hostile reception having represented Ireland earlier in their careers.
It is only the fourth time the two nations have met this century, with two of those matches ending in a draw and a 2020 friendly bringing a 3-0 win for England. Heimir Hallgrimsson is now in the dugout for Ireland, with this his first match in charge since being appointed earlier this summer. Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below!
Kick-off: 5pm BST | Aviva Stadium
How to watch: ITV
Ireland team news: Idah leads the line
England team news: Grealish and Rice start on Dublin return
Standard Sport prediction
16:41 , Matt Verri
It’ll be interesting to see how Marc Guehi and Harry Maguire get on as a pair today, writes Malik Ouzia.
Of course, Guehi was the beneficiary of Maguire’s absence last summer and you assume that they’re pushing for one place alongside John Stones in England’s first-choice back-four.
16:33 , Matt Verri
Jarrod Bowen believes it does not matter if Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor is English.
Southgate stepped down from the England job in July following defeat to Spain in the European Championship Final.
Under-21s boss Lee Carsley has been put in charge on an interim basis for the Nations League games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, with a view to leading the side throughout the autumn.
Carsley is a contender for the job but the FA has not ruled out hiring an overseas coach for the first time since Fabio Capello.
Out-of-work former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola are among the high-profile foreign candidates to have been linked with the job.
Asked if he believed England should have an English coach, West Ham captain Bowen said: “Ultimately, if you bring success and good times as a manager, you’re doing well. So, for me, I don’t see [a foreign manager] as any different.
“I know there’s been loads of different [England] managers in the past. As a football fan, you want to see your team doing well. It doesn’t matter whether the manager’s English or whatever nationality, as long as your team’s playing well and you feel good about it. For me, that’s the most important thing.”
16:25 , Matt Verri
It’s notable how many of the chief grumbles of Euro 2024, and indeed the Southgate era in general, Lee Carsley has addressed straight away, writes Malik Ouzia.
Alexander-Arnold is back at right-back, there’s a left-footer on the left of defence, Anthony Gordon is in and there’s no sense of caution in terms of the midfield selection.
16:16 , Matt Verri
Harry Kane wins his 99th international cap as he starts in Dublin.
The 31-year-old struggled at Euro 2024, but the England captain has insisted he still has plenty more to give for his country.
“I think when you look at players like [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and [Lionel] Messi, all these players who are playing in their mid to late 30s, that’s the inspiration for me because it shows that you can really play at a high level for a long time,” Kane said.
“I want to play football for as long as possible and at the highest level for as long as possible.
“I use those players for motivation and inspiration to be able to do that.
“I feel I am in a really good place both mentally and physically to have another great season, hopefully that continues for many years to come.”
16:10 , Matt Verri
In case you’re wondering where some of England’s first-team stars are this evening…
Jude Bellingham and Luke Shaw were left out of the squad due to injury, and there were then three withdrawals earlier this week.
Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins were all originally named in Carsley’s group but will play no part either this evening or against Finland on Tuesday, after returning to their respective clubs for assessments on minor injuries.
Foden has been suffering with a virus.
16:01 , Matt Verri
So there we have it, the first team named by an England manager other than Gareth Southgate in just over eight years, writes Malik Ouzia.
It’s a very attacking one, too, with Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Jack Grealish all included in support of Harry Kane.
I assume it’ll be the latter playing at No10, which for a certain time was something lots of England fans were calling for.
I can’t remember the last time he played there for club or country, though.
15:59 , Matt Verri
Ireland XI: Kelleher, Doherty, Coleman, O’Shea, Collins, Brady. Molumby, Smallbone, Ogbene, Szmodics, Idah
Subs: Travers, O’Leary, O’Dowda, Omobamidele, Browne, Ferguson, O’Brien, McAteer, Scales, Knight, Robinson, Parrott
15:52 , Matt Verri
England XI: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Guehi, Colwill, Mainoo, Rice, Gordon, Grealish, Saka, Kane
Subs: Henderson, Pope, Lewis, Stones, Gallagher, Livramento, Konsa, Gibbs-White, Angel, Bowen, Eze, Madueke
15:45 , Matt Verri
The hosts have arrived at the Aviva – team news coming up in the next 15 minutes or so.
15:37 , Matt Verri
Conor Gallagher believes his move to Spain could benefit the England national team.
The 24-year-old midfielder joined Atletico Madrid from Chelsea last month in a deal worth £33.5million, with Portugal winger Joao Felix heading in the opposite direction.
He had been made Chelsea captain by Enzo Maresca’s predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, but was sold this summer in part due to financial reasons, with the sale of an academy product counting as pure profit in the club accounts.
Gallagher has now spoken about how his move to Spain, who beat England in July’s Euro 2024 final and had 66 per cent possession that night in Berlin, could help the Three Lions.
“It’s a different style of football, different for my development,” he explained. “I can learn new things and improve. If I become a better player, I can help England as well, if I’m with the group.”
15:29 , Matt Verri
England interim manager Lee Carsley has said that he will not sing the British national anthem this evening.
The Aviva Stadium clash will be a “proud moment for myself and my family”, said Carsley, but singing ‘God Save the King’ looks out of the question for a man that represented the Republic of Ireland 40 times as player.
“This is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland,” Birmingham-born Carsley – who qualified to play for Ireland through his grandmother – said of anthems.
“The gap between your warm-up, your 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 in to coaching. We had the national anthem with the Under-21s also and I am in a zone at that point.
“I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries. It’s something I am really respectful of.”
15:22 , Matt Verri
Lee Carsley has no concerns about playing Declan Rice or Jack Grealish in Dublin this evening.
The 50-year-old’s first match in charge comes against the country he represented 40 times as a player, adding extra spice to a fixture that also sees Rice and Grealish return to the Emerald Isle.
Rice won three senior caps for the Republic before switching allegiance to England, shortly after Grealish did the same having represented Ireland up until under-21 level.
Asked if he has any concerns about playing them at the Aviva Stadium, interim boss Carsley said: “No, not all.
“We spoke – not only (to) Jack and Declan, to the whole squad – we spoke about the atmosphere we expect it to be.
“Exciting, passionate, loud, but it’ll be no different to what the players are used to in Premier League games or high level games. I think they’ll be ready for whatever comes out.”
Quizzed on what reception he expects back in Ireland, the interim England boss said: “I’m not sure, to be honest. Probably the same.”
15:13 , Matt Verri
It’s a glorious afternoon in Dublin.
15:04 , Matt Verri
The Boys in Green have been in rotten form for some time, but the new manager bounce should make things a little more difficult for England.
Still, the Three Lions will have the overwhelming majority of the talent out on the pitch and the injection of fresh energy from the management and young players could make for a promising honeymoon under Carsley.
England to win, 2-0.
14:57 , Matt Verri
Lee Carsley selected four newcomers in his squad last week, with Noni Madueke, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento and Angel Gomes all having worked under him with the U21s but never previously been called up for the seniors.
He left a number of experienced internationals out of his squad, including the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson.
Carsley revealed last week that Harry Kane will remain England captain, and the Bayern Munich striker is expected to lead the Three Lions out at the Aviva Stadium once more.
Declan Rice – who, like Jack Grealish, represented the Republic of Ireland in his younger days before switching his international allegiance to England and can likely expect a somewhat hostile reception in Dublin on Saturday – is expected to partner Kobbie Mainoo in the midfield engine room, with Bukayo Saka joining Grealish in supporting lone striker Kane.
Anthony Gordon will also hope for a chance to impress in attack after making just two substitute cameos at the European Championship.
Predicted England XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Guehi, Colwill; Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Grealish, Gordon; Kane
14:49 , Matt Verri
Ireland are without the injured Gavin Bazunu or Josh Cullen but Evan Ferguson has recovered from injury in time to be called up.
Callum Robinson, Alan Browne and Jayson Molumby have earned recalls under the new boss while Leicester winger Kasey McAteer is in line for a debut after declaring he would represent Ireland.
14:39 , Matt Verri
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live and free to air on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 4pm.
Live stream: Fans can also catch the contest live for free online via the ITVX app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action right here with us!
14:31 , Matt Verri
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of the Republic of Ireland vs England!
With Lee Carsley in the England dugout, and Declan Rice and Jack Grealish in the squad for the visitors, a hostile atmosphere can be expected in Dublin.
It’s the opening Nations League match of the campaign for these two sides – should be fun!
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 5pm BST from the Aviva Stadium.
