Grapevine

Rice hails England interim boss, Carsley, despite uncertainty

However, the 50-year-old, who stepped up from his role as under-21s manager, has since given mixed messages about whether he wants the job on a permanent basis.

After Thursday’s shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley he said he would “hopefully” be going back to his role with the under-21s before saying the job should be given to a “world-class manager” in a TV interview following Sunday’s 3-1 win in Finland.

But just minutes after that, in his post-match press conference in Helsinki, he said he was “definitely” not ruling himself out of the running for the permanent position.

Arsenal midfielder Rice brushed aside suggestions that the uncertainty was unsettling for the players.

Asked whether the squad needed clarity, Rice, who scored the final goal in England’s win in Helsinki, told the BBC: “No, not at all. He has been clear with us when he came in… that he was looking after us for three camps.