Carsley insists Rice and Grealish can deal with negative reception against Republic of Ireland | OneFootball

England interim boss Lee Carsley insists a hostile reception against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday will not affect Declan Rice or Jack Grealish.

Rice represented the Republic of Ireland senior team while Grealish played for the U21 side before they both opted to switch allegiances and play for England.

And Carsley, who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, says Rice and Grealish will be ready for a hostile atmosphere.

“We spoke about the atmosphere we expect to be exciting, passionate and loud. What players are used to from the Premier League,” he said.

“They’ll be ready for whatever happens.”

And asked about the reception he thinks he will get, Carsley added: “I’m not sure. Probably the same. If the reception we had outside is anything to go by it’ll be positive.”

England skipper Harry Kane also believes Grealish and Rice may receive some backlash from the Irish fans: “We know it will be a hostile atmosphere. They might get some stick but they made decisions on what they thought would be best for their career.”

The Nations League clash will be Carsley’s first game in interim charge after taking over following the departure of Gareth Southgate, but he insists he is not looking at it as a “fresh start” for the team.

He said: “I definitely don’t see this as a new start. I’ve talked about taking over a team as a caretaker manager low on confidence, low down the league, struggling. This is the opposite.

“This is a team coming on the back of a tournament. Qualifying is an achievement and to get so close, I don’t see this as a fresh start, It’s a chance to build on what they’ve done in the past.”

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