The message to Lee Carsley consisted of two words. The message from him was longer. The big screens at either end of Wembley after beating Ireland displayed the thoughts of the FA, which seemed echoed by the England team: “Thank you.” And yet, Carsley suggested, goodbye may not be forever.
He will retreat into the shadows, where an unassuming man often seems most comfortable, to return to the lower-profile task of managing the Under-21s.
