Callum Robinson sends warning to Jack Grealish ahead of English clash

Both sides will meet in their Nations League opener with different coaches from the campaigns just passed. Ireland has appointed former Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrímsson as their new boss, while England has appointed former Ireland midfielder and U21's boss Lee Carsley on an interim basis.

The game has a number of interesting aspects and narratives attached to it for historical and social reasons, and one that hasn't been mentioned is the return of Jack Grealish and Declan Rice to Dublin.

Both played underage for Ireland but opted to declare for the country of their birth, England, in the end.

Grealish is expected to be greeted with jeers and taunts if he plays against Ireland this weekend, and Callum Robinson, his friend, doesn't expect Grealish to get an easy ride in the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

"I don’t know what abuse he might get, but I think he’ll be expecting it," said Robinson to RTE Sport. "I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t because I think he gets booed anywhere he goes, even in England, so I think he’ll be getting ready for a bit of abuse.

"But listen, that’s part of it, that’s part of the game, and I think he’s old enough and being a senior player, that stuff is going to come; he gets it in England games anyway, or English games in the Prem. I don’t think there will be any change on Saturday; I think he’ll be getting it."

Hallgrímsson comes into the Ireland fold with new ideas and will attempt to turn the underachieving Irish team into contenders for international tournaments to come.

Robinson admits that his brief meeting with the Icelander had been positive, and even though they have had little time to work on ideas, he knows that the only way to show the ideas are being absorbed is to show that on the Aviva turf this weekend.

Republic of Ireland striker Callum Robinson says he expects his close friend Jack Grealish to receive a frosty reception when his side face England on Saturday 😅#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/zSS7eEIeYD

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 3, 2024

"It's been good," added Robinson. "A lot of information has to be crammed in but, to be fair, that is normal with international football because the games come so quick.

"We've had maybe three meetings and we'll have another one tonight (Tuesday), and it's just trying to get that information across on what he wants from us and the tactics that he likes to play, being a little more solid defensively and being hard to beat, and the only way we can do that is meetings and on the training pitch.

"It's obviously quite a few meetings, but we understand as players that it's a new manager and a new philosophy and the stuff he wants, and we need to cram it in as much as we can because we have a big game on Saturday."

Ireland will begin their campaign tonight against England in a League B, Group B2 match. Following this, on September 10, they will take on Greece. The team will then travel to Finland for their next fixture on October 10. Just three days later, on October 13, Ireland will face Greece again, this time away.

Their penultimate match will be on November 14, when they host Finland. Finally, Ireland will conclude their group stage on November 17 with a match against England.