“Got my smile back in an England shirt” - Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish appear to aim cheeky dig at Gareth Southgate in Lee Carsley tribute
England stars Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham have seemingly taken a cheeky dig at former national team head coach Gareth Southgate. The duo made the comment while posting farewell messages for interim head coach Lee Carlsey after his final match with the team.
Taking to Instagram, Grealish shared a post for Carlsey and thanked him for 'bringing back the enjoyment' to the national team. He wrote (via GOAL):
"What a guy & manager! Absolute legend and thank you for bringing back the enjoyment in England shirt."
Bellingham shared a similar message on his Instagram story, thanking Carlsley for improving the dressing room atmosphere. He posted:
"Huge thanks to Lee and his staff for their work in these last few camps. Got my smile back in an England shirt, very grateful!"
Thomas Tuchel will permanently take over as England manager on January 1. Gareth Southgate left his role as the Three Lions manager after their EURO 2024 final loss to Spain.
Notably, Carlsley's final match in charge of the Three Lions saw them defeat Ireland 5-0 at the Wembley Stadium.
Lee Carlsey sends message to incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel
Lee Carlsey sent a message to Thomas Tuchel after his last day in charge of the national side. He also heaped praise on the German tactician, stating the latter's good track record would benefit the Three Lions.
He told the media (via GOAL):
“It’s a job that deserves an elite coach with a track record of winning and Thomas has got that. The bonus would be we’ve increased the pool of players. The next squad will be a real challenge to pick, I’m sure. Exciting times ahead.
“We spoke about not only gaining promotion from the Nations League but to potentially increase the pool of players Thomas has got to choose from. The challenge now for the players that have been involved for the last three camps is to be in and around the March squad. A lot of them have done themselves a lot of good. Gaining a cap is no mean feat.”
Thomas Tucehl was sacked by Bayern Munich after the 2023/24 season. He was linked with Manchester United but signed an 18-month deal with the Three Lions until the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.