England captain Ben Stokes is back in the squad for their tour of Pakistan in October, with uncapped duo Brydon Carse and Jordan Cox both included.

Stokes missed England's 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka this month with a hamstring injury and is continuing his recovery, as is opener Zak Crawley, who is also back after missing it with a broken finger.

Durham fast bowler Carse has made 14 ODI appearances and played three T20Is for England, while Essex batter Cox is expected to make his T20I debut against Australia on Wednesday.

Spinners Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach, who has not played since January, are recalled, having also played in the 3-0 Test series away to Pakistan in 2022.

Seamer Josh Hull is included in the squad for his first senior tour after making his Test debut at The Oval.

Dan Lawrence, who was given the opportunity to open in Crawley's absence, struggled to make an impact and registered a highest score of just 35 in six innings, with that coming in England’s final Test, which they lost on Monday.

England's tour of Pakistan begins with the first Test on October 7.

England squad for Pakistan tour: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

Ahead of his 100th appearance for England, Harry Kane is next targeting 100 goals for his country.

The Three Lions captain is set to make his landmark appearance against Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, becoming the 10th player to reach the milestone, and the first since Wayne Rooney in November 2014.

Kane is England's record goalscorer, netting 66 goals in his 99 appearances so far, and has 17 assists for the national team.

He scored three times for England at Euro 2024, sharing the Golden Boot with five other players, with his last goal coming from the penalty spot against the Netherlands in the semi-final.

Kane started their Nations League opener against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, a match they won 2-0, though the striker failed to hit the net despite having the most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (nine).

Kane, who averages a goal every 117 minutes for England, has now set himself the target of 100 goals, shrugging off a suggestion that it is too ambitious.

"It's possible, it's there," Kane said. "What is it, 34 goals?

"It is strange, I have touched on it a bit, 100 caps have come round so quick – especially the last few years, playing three major tournaments in such a short space of time. In those years I've done around 15, 16, 17 caps a year, whereas a normal year would be 10.

"The goals were similar. I felt I was on 30 goals and then, bam, I went to 50 and 60. It is definitely there and definitely possible. I feel like I am in a good place, and these are good targets to try to reach.

"Some people may see them as unrealistic, but I would rather go for something unrealistic and not quite make it, rather than be comfortable just saying I will be happy with 70 or 80 goals."

Kane is set to be awarded a golden cap ahead of kick-off on his landmark appearance.

Lee Carsley said he understands his role as interim England head coach for the next three camps, insisting the best person should get the job on a full-time basis.

Carsley kickstarted his Three Lions tenure with a comfortable 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland last weekend, with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish on the scoresheet.

England continue their Nations League campaign on Tuesday against Finland at Wembley, an occasion they will be looking to mark with a win on Harry Kane's 100th international appearance.

Carsley could also become the first manager since Fabio Capello in 2008 to win his first two competitive games in charge. 

The only managers to win their first two England games at the helm without conceding a goal are Steve McClaren (2006), Ron Greenwood (1977) and Joe Mercer (1974).

Despite his impressive start, Carsley said he was not thinking about taking on the job permanently just yet.

"I feel like we are a step closer as a team. I try not to think about it too much. The best person should get the job," Carsley said.

"I know my role for the next three camps, and I am comfortable with that."

Carsley also explained his role for the next three camps, saying his full focus remained on the team.

"I think it's quite clear I am doing the three camps," Carsley added.

"I'm really happy with that, if it changes also I'm happy with that. I'm very privileged in the position I'm in, in terms of the Under-21s. I have enjoyed it so far.

"The important thing is the team as opposed to the coaches - they should be the ones in the spotlight and getting the attention."

England's next appointment will be a crucial one, having improved their recent tournament results by reaching the final of the last two European Championships under Gareth Southgate. 

Carsley's relationship with the Under-21 team was a pivotal factor in replacing Southgate, having led the side to Euro Under-21 Championship glory last year.

However, the likes of Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and Pep Guardiola have all been linked with the permanent role as the Three Lions look to end their wait for an international honour.

And after England supporters got a glimpse of Carsley's style of play at the Aviva Stadium last weekend, the former Republic of Ireland midfielder is aiming to continue that same attacking tempo on his Wembley debut.

"It's important that we are exciting to watch," Carsley said.

"I think when fans come and watch England play at home, they expect attacking football, they expect chances to be created and to play with a tempo."

Harry Kane feels at his peak ahead of his landmark England appearance on Tuesday, taking inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo's latest goal-scoring achievement.

Kane is set to make his 100th England appearance at Wembley in their Nations League fixture with Finland, becoming only the 10th player to reach that milestone. 

His landmark appearance will see him awarded with a golden cap ahead of kick-off, the first player to receive one since Wayne Rooney did so in November 2014.

The Bayern Munich striker has made 86 starts for the Three Lions and has 83 goal involvements (66 goals - an England record - and 17 assists) to his name.

He averages a goal every 117 minutes, having 3.5 shots and 1.6 shots on target per 90, creating an average of 1.1 chances per 90.

Since his international debut in 2015, Kane has won 61 of his matches for England, giving him a 61.6% win ratio while also captaining the side to two major tournament finals.

At 31-years-old, many believe his time on the international stage may come to an end soon, but Kane has taken inspiration from Ronaldo, who, at 39-years-old, netted his 900th career goal against Croatia last week.

"I feel in really good shape, both physically and mentally, at a peak in my career," Kane said.

"Watching other players, [Cristiano] Ronaldo scoring his 901st goal, seeing him compete at 39 years old inspires me to play for as long as possible.

"I love this game, I love representing England - more than anything and I don’t want it to end any time soon.

"For me, personally, now it’s about continuing to improve and being consistent both in an England shirt and at club level.

"I’m hungry for more. I’m determined to keep pushing the boundaries."

81 of Kane's 99 caps came under former England head coach Gareth Southgate, with the others coming under Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce, and most recently, Lee Carsley. 

Carsley got his reign as the Three Lions' interim boss with an impressive 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, with goals coming from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish. 

Kane managed the most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (nine) at the Aviva Stadium and is enjoying life under the 50-year-old.

"It has been really good. A new energy into the place especially after the disappointing end to the summer," Kane said.

"It has been great to work with the boss so far. He's brought his ideas, how he wants us to play. I think the lads have enjoyed it.

"We've got a good mixture of youth and experience in the team. You're seeing the excited faces of some of the new players."

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva labelled his side's triumph over England as "special" following their eight-wicket win in the final Test at The Oval. 

Pathum Nissanka's unbeaten century led the tourists to victory, having started day four needing just 125 runs with nine wickets in hand. 

Despite the loss of Kusal Mendis (39), Sri Lanka were able to halt their seven-match losing streak in Tests against England, claiming their first win against them since June 2014.

Nissanka's unbeaten 127 from 124 deliveries also made him only the fourth batter to log a strike rate of more than 100 when scoring a ton in men's Tests.

De Silva hailed Sri Lanka's resilience in claiming the deserved victory, believing his opening batsman is the best in the business for the Lions.

"It is very special, winning in England. The boys were tough enough to handle the pressure and get into some scenarios," De Silva told BBC Sport.

"It is not comfortable. There was hard work put in by the bowlers and batters. We were there in every match - had positive points. The boys wanted to win in the end.

"Credit to all of the bowlers. They have been on target from ball one. In the second innings, they were spot on.

"He [Nissanka] was in form the last couple of years and doing well in white-ball format. He has proved he is the best opener in Sri Lanka right now."

Kamindu Mendis, who struck 113 from 183 deliveries in the Lions' five-wicket defeat in the first Test, was handed Sri Lanka's Player of the Series after the triumph.

Mendis was consistent with the bat throughout the series, scoring 267 runs across the five innings he was in at the crease. 

"It's a good win in these conditions. We did really well, especially the seamers and the batters did really well today," Mendis said.

"In these conditions, you have to face very difficult situations but I just wanted to enjoy it. That's it.

"I just made small changes, not big ones. It's a big deal but you have to be confident in your ability and enjoy your game.

"It's always a challenge facing seamers in England."

Sri Lanka's attentions will now turn to a two-match Test series on home soil against New Zealand, starting on September 18 at the Galle International Stadium.

England have much to be positive about despite losing the final Test of their three-match series against Sri Lanka.

That is the view of Joe Root, who was named England's Player of the Series.

England were firmly second best as they lost by eight wickets at The Oval in the third Test, with Sri Lanka picking up just their fourth win in the longest format on English soil.

Yet after winning the first two Tests, and their three matches against West Indies earlier in the summer, England have plenty to be happy with, so says Root, who used a musical comparison to emphasise his point.

"Not so much this week, but it has been a good summer," Root told BBC Sport.

"We have played some really good cricket along the way. We have had new faces come into the team and some really exciting prospects off the back of that. We are constantly learning and evolving as a group, and it is nice to contribute to that.

"I don't think we played our best cricket this week and that is going to happen from time to time. Coldplay can't be number one every week.

"My point being is we are always trying to move the game forward. We wanted to keep our catchers in and as batters want to find ways of putting the opposition under pressure.

"We are not always going to get it right all of the time. For 90% of the summer we have. We have shown what a good team we can be when we play in that matter.

"It is important we are authentic to what we are as a team and what brings out the best in our individual players."

Root plundered 375 runs across six innings in the series, including two hundreds in the second Test.

However, only scoring 25 in the third Test means he is 14 runs short of 1,000 for 2024.

He will likely get the chance to surpass that milestone, and equal Alastair Cook as the only other English player to score 1,000+ runs in five calendar years, when England tour Pakistan in October.

"You can laud it when it comes off," Root continued on England's approach. "When it doesn't always come off it might not look like traditional dismissals, but [Pathum] Nissanka was hitting over mid-on and mid-off last night.

"When you are 127 not out you can look back and say what a brilliant innings it was. He was brave enough to take the challenge on and that is what we pride ourselves on as well - how can you knock bowlers off a length, how can you make it difficult for them to build pressure on you.

"Some of our guys have a different method to how I would do it and that is what makes us such a good team when we are at our best, because we compliment each other really well and find a different way of getting teams to bowl away from where the danger is.

"Over the last couple of years, that is what has made us have the success we have had."

England's focus now switches to an ODI series against Australia, with bowler Gus Atkinson having been rested after sustaining an injury at The Oval.

Pathum Nissanka's unbeaten century guided Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over England in the final Test of the three-match series.

Sri Lanka went into day four at The Oval in a commanding position, needing just 125 for victory with nine wickets to spare.

And despite Shoaib Bashir taking a fantastic catch in the deep to dismiss Kusal Mendis (39), the tourists ultimately cruised to just their fourth Test win on English soil.

Nissanka's hugely accomplished innings was the highlight, as the opener clipped his way to 127 not-out.

Angelo Mathews (32) provided a steady pair of hands at the other end, but the day belonged to Nissanka, as he fittingly struck the winning runs when he sent Bashir for four.

England may have won the series 2-1, but Brendan McCullum's team were well below their best in the third Test, and attention will now turn to the ODI series against Australia, which starts on Wednesday.

Data Debrief: Take two for Nissanka

Nissanka was in excellent form throughout this match, and followed up his excellent 64 with a sublime knock in the second innings, sealing his second Test ton in the process.

His performance helped Sri Lanka snap a seven-match losing run in Tests against England, and claim their first win since a 100-run victory back in June 2014. It had been England's longest winning run against Sri Lanka in the format.

England interim manager Lee Carsley believes he is capable of taking the job on a full-time basis, but conceded he had his doubts.

Carsley oversaw a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in his first match in charge since stepping in to replace Gareth Southgate on a temporary basis.

An extended audition continues on Tuesday when England take on Finland in their second Nations League match.

And Carsley acknowledged the performance and result against Ireland, who he represented as a player, has provided a much-needed confidence boost.

He said: "In the back of your mind you always think... you know, it's easy to be the England manager, isn't it, when you're sat in the house.

"There have been times when I've thought I'm not sure if I could do it.

"But it has done my confidence good, and the rest of the staff as well, that actually we're OK, we'll be all right.

"I spoke about it at the first press conference, [being] a safe pair of hands. I feel like we’re in a good position with the players.

"I think it's natural to have doubts.

"Going into the Euros with the Under-21s, with the record that we've got, there was a worry we could go home in 10 days. But I've learned with ­experience and dealing with ­setbacks, having good people around you, that it gets easier."

England managed some slick play in Dublin, in particular for their second goal, when Jack Grealish – returning to the fold after he was left out of the Euro 2024 squad – tucked home at the culmination of a sweeping team move.

The Three Lions controlled possession (76.4%), had 16 shots and accumulated 2.67 expected goals (xG), while Carsley handed starts to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, Anthony Gordon on the left flank and then brought on Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes for their debuts.

"The end goal is doing that against the top teams in the world in the ­biggest moments," said Carsley.

"They have got two years to get to that point [before the 2026 World Cup]. We have gone a good way to doing that. We've had four ­training sessions, so it's early. The players have to take huge credit for trying a few things that we have worked on and going out there and doing it for themselves.

"We have to be careful with the term 'freedom'. We have tried to get really effective players in really ­effective areas, to do what they're good at.

"If you call that freedom, maybe it is. But within that there comes a real responsi­bility out of possession. I thought we did really well in that area. We made the pitch really small and were able to suffocate Ireland and get the ball back."

Sri Lanka enjoyed a profitable third day at The Oval, with the tourists in a strong position to win their final Test against England despite Jamie Smith's efforts.

The day started well for England. Dhananjaya de Silva (69) and Kamindu Mendis (64) had steered Sri Lanka into an excellent place at stumps on Saturday, though the duo did not last too long in Sunday's first session.

It took just 11 more overs for England to rattle through Sri Lanka's tail as they were bowled out for 263, 62 short of the hosts' first innings total.

Yet England were skittled out for 156 in the space of just 34 overs.

Dan Lawrence plundered 35 runs from as many balls, but he was the only player in England's top order to score more than 12, and it needed a flurry from wicketkeeper Smith to dig Brendan McCullum's team out of a real hole.

Smith smashed 67 from 50 deliveries, with his knock including 10 fours and one six, before he picked out Kusal Mendis with the final ball of the second session.

Lahiru Kumara (4-12) was the pick of Sri Lanka's bowlers, and he sent Olly Stone packing after tea, prior to Shoaib Bashir succumbing after debutant Josh Hull struck a huge six.

Chasing 219 to win, Sri Lanka's openers swiftly set about the pace, and though Dimuth Karunaratne was caught and bowled by Chris Woakes, Pathum Nissanka (53 not out) and Kusal Mendis (30) ensured the tourists will go into day four requiring just 125.

Data Debrief: England's Oval record on the rocks and Root is forced to wait

Sri Lanka are on the brink of just their fourth Test win in England, having previously won at Headingley, Trent Bride and The Oval, where England have won five of their last six five-day matches, only going down to India in 2021 in that run.

That record looks shaky, while Joe Root, having only managed 12 runs to add to his 13 from the first innings, will not be able to reach 1,000 overall in Tests in 2024 on home soil. 

He is now on 986, but will have to wait until at least October, for England's Tour of Pakistan, to equal Alastair Cook as the English player to have hit 1,000 runs in a calendar year on the most occasions (five), after previously doing so in 2022, 2021, 2016 and 2015.

England's Moeen Ali has confirmed his international retirement.

Moeen played across all formats for England over the past decade, and was part of the squads that won the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and T20 World Cup two years ago.

Having come out of Test retirement to feature for England against Australia in 2023, Mooen has now confirmed his retirement from international cricket altogether.

"I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won't," Moeen said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"Even retiring, I don't feel it's because I'm not good enough – I still feel I can play.

"But I get how things are, and the team needs to evolve into another cycle. It's about being real to myself.

"I've played a lot of cricket for England. It's time for the next generation.

"It felt [like] the time was right to move on. I've done my part."

He bows out having played 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is.

Moeen made five Test centuries, taking 204 wickets in the longest format.

The off-spinner made three tons and took 111 wickets in ODIs, while clinching 51 wickets in T20Is.

Declan Rice "was never going to celebrate" after scoring against the Republic of Ireland in England's 2-0 Nations League victory.

The midfielder was met by a hostile crowd in Dublin having previously represented Ireland before changing allegiance to England.

But Rice had the last laugh, lashing home in the 11th minute before teeing up Jack Grealish, who previously represented Ireland at youth level, to seal a comfortable win for Lee Carsley's side.

It marked his fourth goal for the Three Lions but Rice did not feel the need for celebrations.

"Obviously, it was an amazing feeling to score, but I was never going to celebrate. I have Irish family, my nan and grandad, who are not here anymore and I think it would have been disrespectful to them if I celebrated," he told beIN Sports.

"It happened six, seven years ago so it’s such a long time ago now. I get on really well with a lot of the Irish boys so there’s nothing hard done by, by me. Obviously, the fans feel a certain way, and that’s absolutely fine.

"I just wanted to focus and get my head back in the game to score more goals."

The last time Rice had played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin was six years and 97 days prior to Saturday's match. On that occasion, he represented Ireland against the USA in June 2018.

Now in the white shirt of England, Rice helped interim manager Carsley to a debut win in Dublin after the resignation of Gareth Southgate following Euro 2024.

"It's been refreshing this week to play with [Carsley] and play with his staff. We're playing in a different way to what we were before," reflected Rice.

"It's going to take a bit of time for us to be amazing at what we do, but a lot of the players that play at [Manchester] City, Liverpool, Arsenal, we play a similar way, so it's easy to adapt.

"It was really good, it was really refreshing. I'm feeling much fitter in myself which is a real positive. It was a really good result in the end."

While Rice now represents a relative stalwart of the England squad with 59 caps, former England Under-21s manager Carsley, himself an ex-Ireland international, handed debuts to Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes, while he also played Anthony Gordon and Levi Colwill from the start.

"We've obviously been really close now in back-to-back Euros, at a World Cup, so the next thing for England is to win," said Rice.

"We need to strive and keep building towards that. It’s a different group this time, more younger players, but I'm sure we’ll be better for it. Going forward, it's going to be really positive, and it's going to be a fresh start."

Lee Carsley insisted his England players "have to take all of the credit" after winning his debut match as England manager.

Interim boss Carsley oversaw a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in their Nations League fixture at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

It marked the first time Ireland have lost a home match against England since May 1964.

The former England Under-21s manager, however, was keen to credit his players after first-half goals from Jack Grealish and Declan Rice saw England over the line.

"The lads have to take a lot of credit, all of the credit. I think we've showed we've got some real talent and we can be really pleased with the clean sheet as well," he told ITV.

"I thought it was good in parts. You've seen some of the things we've tried to do."

Carsley, who represented Ireland as a player, was vindicated in recalling Grealish after his omission from the Euros squad in the summer as the Manchester City playmaker doubled the lead in the 26th minute.

"I thought they [Rice and Grealish] took their goals really well. Really well-worked moves and brilliant finishes. I think, moving forward, they can both add a lot more goals to their game," he said.

"Jack definitely doesn't have anything to prove to us, we can see his quality, but today will have done him the world of good, getting another goal for England and hopefully he can continue that form."

The new England manager also opted to start Anthony Gordon on the left wing after the Newcastle United winger had struggled for minutes on the pitch under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024.

"On a really dry sticky pitch, it's not ideal for dribblers but I thought Anthony was a real threat. He's carried on his form from last season and he looks a really dangerous player," enthused Carsley of Gordon, who got all three of his shots on target and played two key passes.

The manager played his part in ending Ireland's four-game unbeaten run against the Three Lions on home soil (W1 D3), though England could have made their dominance pay more.

"I think you've got to give Ireland credit as well, they are very resilient, they closed the gaps and our space maybe became a bit wider [in the second half]," reflected Carsley.

"We found it a little bit more difficult to get through them but at 2-0 we were quite comfortable."

Olly Stone denied complacency played a part in England's performance on day two of their final Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval.

England were bowled out for 325 after 69 overs, as Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis helped the tourists reach 211-5 at stumps. 

Stone was the pick of the hosts' bowling attack, taking the wickets of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal while also running out Dimuth Karunaratne. 

De Silva, however, was crucially dropped by debutant Josh Hull, as he ended the day on 64 runs from 106 deliveries alongside Mendis (54). 

And while England handed Sri Lanka a potential route back into the final Test, Stone was confident that on another day, they could have been out of sight.

"I wouldn't say we were complacent. We've always said about taking the positive option, sometimes you can sit there and take a few blows," Stone said.

"If you put a few chances away it can come out differently. On another day it goes another way, and we get a few on the board."

As it had done on the first day, bad light was a constant threat, resulting in fast bowler Chris Woakes delivering four balls of off-spin.

England had started brightly with the ball in hand, working through Sri Lanka's top order before being stopped in their tracks by De Silva and Mendis. 

But the bad light inside The Oval played its part, with the tourists able to chip away at their target after tea.

Stone acknowledged the difficulty of the conditions but had words of praise for Hull after taking his first wicket on his debut. 

"It was too dark for our seamers but we tried to take the positive option. We thought we could take wickets with our spinners," Stone said.

"We feel we have the bowlers in any conditions but Sri Lanka played well.

"Hull has been brilliant. He hasn't looked nervous - he has been smiley, he has enjoyed it.

"I know he will be better for taking that wicket and hopefully he can take more in the morning.

"There is no greater job in the world. Going out there with a smile on our face, enjoying it.

"It doesn't feel like international cricket, you are nice and relaxed and out there with your mates."

Jack Grealish returned to the scoresheet for England after ‘the worst summer of his life’ saw him miss out on a place in the Three Lions' Euro 2024 squad.

Grealish netted the second goal in England's 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in their Nations League clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

It was just his third-ever goal for the England senior team and his first as a starter.

The Manchester City attacker was selected to start by interim head coach Lee Carsley in his first match at the helm, after falling out of favour towards the end of Gareth Southgate's time in charge.

"Over the summer, it was one of the worst summers of my life because you can't not see everything that is happening in front of you,” he told ITV after the match.

“It was difficult but it's given me something to bounce back."

Grealish delivered a display fitting of a player with something to prove.

While he was on the pitch, no England player won more fouls (4) or created more chances (2) than the 28-year-old.

"I need to start playing regularly, scoring goals, and that's what I did today. I'm still not 100% fit but I'm getting there so from a personal point of view I'm happy,” he added.

"Going to the fans at the end and hearing them sing my name, listen there's no better feeling than playing for England.

Everyone will say the same thing, especially in games like this when you know the whole nation is going to be watching.”

Declan Rice opened the scoring for England in the 11th minute before assisting Grealish to double the lead 15 minutes later.

Both players had previously represented their opponents, and faced a tough reception in Dublin.

"It was what me and Declan expected. We have nothing bad to say, we both enjoyed our time [playing for Ireland]," Grealish said. 

"I certainly did and I have a lot of Irish in my family, so there's no bad blood whatsoever from my side," said Grealish.

The victory marks the first time England have won consecutive meetings with the Republic of Ireland since March 1985.

The Three Lions were winless in seven against them between these two runs (D5 L2).

Lee Carsley made a winning start to his England tenure with a comfortable 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League, helped by two players who previously represented the hosts.

Both goals came in the first half on Saturday, with Declan Rice's powerful finish followed up by Jack Grealish's sweeping effort to hand England their first win in Dublin in over 60 years.

Jayson Molumby's early chance offered the visitors a warning, but Harry Kane headed over as Carsley's team swiftly took control.

The England captain, now one shy of his 100th Three Lions cap, was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher moments later inside the box after a fast break from an Ireland free-kick. 

But England had the lead after 11 minutes. Having made three senior appearances for Ireland, Rice pledged his international future to the Three Lions in 2019, and it was the Arsenal midfielder who opened the scoring with an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.

Rice turned provider for another who switched their international allegiance, as Grealish rounded off a fine move to double England's advantage 15 minutes later.

Ireland improved after the interval, though rarely came close to truly testing Jordan Pickford.

Bukayo Saka went close to adding further gloss to an impressive display in added time, only to see his effort repelled by Kelleher with substitute Eberechi Eze firing over on the rebound. 

Data Debrief: Rice and Grealish haunt Ireland

In a game where all the focus was placed on former Ireland international Carsley, it would be two of the Republic's former hopes that stole the headlines in Dublin. 

Rice's goal at the Aviva Stadium came six years and 97 days after making his only previous appearance there for Ireland against the United States in June 2018.

He completed 88 of his 93 passes and ended with an accuracy rate of 94.6%, a total only bettered by Pickford (96.3%) of those that started the game.

Grealish, meanwhile, netted his third goal for England, and his first as a starter. While he was on the pitch, no England player won more fouls (four) or created more chances (two) than him.