Saturday’s game is full of intrigue and subplots, from it being the first competitive encounter between the sides in Dublin since 1990 to the return of Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, both of whom opted to represent England after coming through the Republic of Ireland’s underage system.
There is also interest in the men who will occupy the technical areas. Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Lee Carsley, who had been linked with the Irish job, leads England for the first time in his interim role following Gareth Southgate’s departure.
As for Hallgrimsson, there is hope that the 57-year-old can transform the fortunes of an Irish team that managed just 11 wins in 40 games under Kenny.
But the former Jamaica boss was giving little away on the eve of his first home match in charge.
Asked when he will inform the players of his line-up, a smiling Hallgrimsson said: “Basically, it is none of your business when I talk to the players about the line-up.
“Usually I have done it matchday-1 in the afternoon, so the players can sleep on the starting line-up. That is the normal way. If I do it now, I’m not sure.”
And when asked if the Republic of Ireland fans can expect to see a different shape or style under him, he responded: “You’ll see when we kick-off. We’re not going to talk about how we play or our tactics.
“You will know that, but it’s a fair question.”
When asked how his side can secure what would be the Republic of Ireland’s first win over England since Euro 1988, Hallgrimsson said his players must function collectively.
“I’m really excited to see the atmosphere in this massive game against England, to see if we can transfer what we’ve done in training into the pitch.
“Man for man, going gung-ho, we’d probably lose nine times out of 10. It is better being a collective.”