Former Rovers midfielder Lee Carsley has ruled himself out of the race to succeed Stephen Kenny as Ireland manager.

Carsley led England to European Under-21 Championship glory last summer following a memorable win against Spain in the final. The side managed to go the entire tournament without conceding a single goal.

The 50-year-old has confirmed that he spoke to the Irish FA last year but the discussions went no further.

He told Mail Sport: “We had an initial conversation in November, I went to speak to them. Really informal, enjoyable, for around an hour. It went no further.

“It was good to see what their thoughts were and to explore whether I was ready to take that next step. It just went no further, I didn’t push it.

“I have always said that I am really privileged to do this job I am in. I appreciate that I am in a really good position with a lot of responsibility.”

Carsley scored 13 goals in 55 appearances for Rovers between March 1999 and December 2000. He also had spells with the Everton and Coventry among others, winning 40 international caps.

His involvement in the England set-up began in 2015 when was appointed as lead coach of the Under-19 squad.

Carsley then held roles in the Academies of Manchester City and Birmingham before returning to the FA in 2018. He was appointed head coach of the Under-21 side in the summer of 2021.

The Irish FA announced last November that Kenny’s contract would not be renewed after failing to qualify for the Euros.

He spent three-and-a-half-years in the hot seat, having initially been brought in as Mick McCarthy’s successor.

Neil Lennon, Chris Coleman, Roy Keane and Chris Hughton are among the names who have been linked with the position over the past few months, with Kenny’s replacement set to be confirmed next month.