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Lee Carsley wants to excite fans having gone from watching ‘the Boss’ at Wembley to leading England out at the stadium as interim boss just six weeks later.
The 50-year-old was temporarily promoted from England Under-21s head coach to senior team manager following Gareth Southgate’s exit days after the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.
Carsley has been charged with overseeing their six Nations League fixtures, with Tuesday offering him the chance to put on a show at Wembley – just like he saw Bruce Springsteen do under the arch on July 25.
“I’ve been to a few games there,” he said on the eve of the Nations League clash with Finland. “I was recently at Bruce Springsteen. I’m not sure (if that’ll help).
“The venue itself is unreal. When you’re two or three miles away from it and you’re getting closer and the build-up to it…
“Also, the area that it’s in as well – all of the shopping centres and all the things that are available for the matchday experience.
“It’s a brilliant experience and one that I’m relishing. Hopefully it’s full and it’s electric.”
Wembley is unlikely to be full for the visit of Finland given tickets are still available, but it looks a good chance to build on Saturday’s 2-0 win at the Republic of Ireland in his first match.
Whether he is born to run the team on a permanent basis remains to be seen, with the 50-year-old just making the most of this opportunity to work with the senior side.
It's a big jump from the under-21s. There's no going away from that— Lee Carsley
“I spoke about how proud I was to be the head coach in Dublin and, again, the same position,” Carsley told BBC Radio 5 Live. “My family will be there cheering England on.
“A fantastic achievement for not only myself, but the staff – Ashley (Cole), Joleon (Lescott), Tim (Dittmer), James Ryder.
“I’m sure we will have all had our own personal doubts. It’s a big jump from the under-21s. There’s no going away from that.
“Ultimately the players aren’t the same because obviously they’re older, but they’re still humans.
“They still want to feel that you believe in them, that you care about them, that you want them to do well and I think they’ve definitely responded to that.”
England certainly started well enough at a raucous Aviva Stadium and Carsley is now looking to deliver a performance in front of the England fans.
“I still want to see us playing with that control,” he said. “I think it’s important that we’re exciting to watch.
“I think when fans come watch England play at home they expect attacking football, they expect chances to be created and to play with a tempo and us to be on the ball.
“I wouldn’t see that being any different (on Tuesday).”
Carsley liked what he saw from his players in Dublin and wants to build on that as he tweaks the team against the lowest-ranked side in Group B2.
“Really looking forward to the game. We’ve had another couple of good sessions (since) the last match, so I’m excited by it,” he said.
“We’ll make two or three changes, freshen the team up a little bit.
“But what I’ve noticed with this group is how motivated they are to do well.
“We should really look forward to playing at home, especially at Wembley, on a pitch like that, in a venue like that.”
Carsley knows he needs to strike the right balance between sending out the correct signal, selecting a strong enough team and protecting some players.
The match will see Harry Kane make his 100th appearance, with the England captain to be presented with a golden cap to mark the achievement before the game.
“I’ve only worked with him now for seven days, but straightaway you can see how motivated he is, how committed he is, how much of a good example he is around the players,” Carsley said.
“Every single session he’s the first out and to have that kind of example for younger players coming through is testament to him and his motivation.
“We spoke on the phone when I was confirmed for the job and you could tell straight away how motivated he was to win a major tournament with England, which is brilliant for whoever comes in.”
