England interim manager Lee Carsley heads for WRONG dugout in major blunder against former team Ireland...

Assistant takes his place on the bench at the Aviva Stadium before realising his error

England interim manager Lee Carsley headed for the wrong dugout in a major blunder before their friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday night.

The former Ireland midfielder, who won 40 caps for his country, accidentally took his place on the bench in the home team's technical area at the Aviva Stadium.

He quickly realised his mistake and moved to the correct dugout, but not before the incident had been picked up by the TV cameras.

England's preparations for the match were disrupted by a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad, with a number of players and staff testing positive.

As a result, Carsley was forced to name a weakened team for the game, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Despite the setback, Carsley said he was pleased with the performance of his players, who showed "great character and spirit".

"It was a difficult situation for us, but I thought the players responded really well," he said. "We showed a lot of character and spirit, and I'm proud of the way they played."

England will now turn their attention to their next match, a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on Sunday.