Everton: The importance of being Seamus

The importance of being Seamus

Seamus Coleman is a bit of an enigma at Everton.  I have not known a player where Evertonian’s opinions can change so much in such a short space of time.  From his outstanding debut appearance against Tottenham Hotspurs, where every toffee was thinking we had an amazing talent on our hands, to the dreadful FA cup appearances at Wembley (while not fully fit) and then back to this seasons stunning performances.  I can’t think of another player where opinion has changed so much.

So a little bit of background on our Seamie.  Republic of Ireland fullback Coleman wasn’t always a footballer; in fact he wasn’t really a footballer at all up until the age of 17, which makes his breakthrough in the Premier League even more outstanding.  Up until this age, Coleman was an outstanding Gaelic Footballer and had always dreamed of playing this professionally until he was offered the chance to be a footballer at 18.

Gaelic Football has probably toughened Coleman’s resolve as a footballer having missed out on much of his apprenticeship as an academy player.  Coleman started his football career at Sligo Rovers, but following recommendations to David Moyes, Coleman was signed in 2009 by Everton for £67,000.  Coleman made his debut as a substitute against Spurs and promptly put in a man of the match performance to save the game in a 2-2 draw.  Coleman was then loaned to Blackpool, helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League.  This was all nearly ended early when a blister on the top of his toe nearly had to be amputated.

The last couple of years Seamus Coleman has battled with a few different injuries and has struggled to get a decent run in the side at Right back or Right Midfield, but this season Coleman has put in some all action displays and cemented his place as the first choice right back.

Why is Seamus Coleman so important to Everton?

Although he is clearly not the finished article (mainly for the reasons listed above), Seamus Coleman is crucial to Everton at the current time.  He offers the Everton side so much balance, offering flying wing play with crunching defending.   With the Baines/Pienaar combination our team has often been imbalanced with much of our play coming down the left hand side, but the Coleman/Mirallas partnership has given us a massive attacking threat down the right hand side and this has carved open teams on a number of occasions this year, including the 3-1 win over Reading at the weekend.

Coleman more often than not has provided some fantastic whipped crosses in the box and is very difficult to mark because he comes from deep and isn’t afraid to attack fullbacks with direct running to create space or provide an opening.  Physically, Coleman is a very good athlete with good pace and excellent stamina and the Gaelic football has definitely helped his no nonsense approach.  Coleman looks to have relegated Neville and Hibbert from the right back spot and will be looking to push on for the remaining games coming this season.  In fact the future is bright, with Coleman only being 24 and 18 yr. old John Stones (signed from Barnsley) as 2 promising right backs.

Where Next?

Coleman is still developing and learning as a player, but he shows all the signs that he learns from mistakes and puts in 100% to improve himself as a player.   He will never be a Messi or a Ronaldo, but he can definitely be a strong Premier League player if he can progress and keep with his direct approach rampaging down the wing.  He looks to get better with age and forcing his way into the Republic of Ireland first team will definitely help as he will be playing against excellent players in good competitions.  If Coleman can work on the defensive side of his game, Everton will have a very good player for years to come and this can only be a good thing from a player signed for relative peanuts.

What do you think of Seamus Coleman as a player, why not give your thoughts below, or at The Everton Forum: https://www.theevertonforum.co.uk/thread4713.html