Brian Kerr: I believe Lee Carsley won't be taking the Ireland job 

Kerr was also of the opinion that the job opening is unlikely to tempt Chris Hughton. 

OPINION LINE: Brian Kerr. Pic: Nick Elliott, Inpho

Ex-Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr believes that current England under-21 boss Lee Carsley "won't be taking the Ireland job".

Former Ireland international Carsley, has been heavily touted as the FAI's top target for the role most recently occupied by Stephen Kenny, who departed in November of last year. 

Kerr is of the mind that Carsley - who made 40 appearances in green - will not take up an offer from the FAI hierarchy, given the loyalty he has to his current role within the English FA.

"I believe that Lee Carsley won't be taking the job," Kerr said, speaking on Virgin Media's Champions League offering. "I suspect one of the reasons why Lee wouldn't take it is... from what I know of him, he is a very loyal and principled fella. 

"I believe [that] he wouldn't break the current deal he has with the English FA at the moment, because that's the sort of fella he is."

"That's one of the reasons he has a high reputation around the game."

🗣 "He's a very loyal and principled fella."

🗣 "He's probably a bit unusual in football."

🗣 "It's one of the reasons he has such a high reputation."

Brian Kerr on why he feels Lee Carsley won't be taking the Ireland job. pic.twitter.com/JsAxyUZJRm

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 14, 2024

Kerr was also slow to think that another candidate, Chris Hughton, would jump at the chance of managing the Boys in Green. In fact, he ruled him out with some certainty.

"I'm telling you that it won't be Chris Hughton. I know Chris had two very intense years working with the Ghanaian association, at the World Cup in Qatar, where he wasn't actually the coach, but he was doing a lot of other stuff. 

"When he took up the job about a year ago, in the build-up to the AFCON, which didn't go well for them. They had a very tough build-up to it."

Asked whether he reckoned Hughton has "had his fill" of management for the foreseeable, Kerr answered: "I would think so, he definitely wants a break."

Last Thursday’s UEFA Nations League draw in Paris pitted Ireland against England, Finland and Greece, the six group fixtures scheduled to complete 2024 between September 7 and November 17. 

Elsewhere, Belgium and Switzerland visit Lansdowne Road on March 23 and 26, followed by a summer double-header that has a home fixture against Hungary on June 4 followed by a trip to Aveiro to face another Euros-bound opponent, Portugal, a week later.