He’s already the greatest pound-for-pound acquisition in Premier League history but Seamus Coleman might yet prove to be Everton’s most-important signing of the summer.
Everton confirmed on Friday that they have offered a new contract to their captain along with midfielder Tom Davies and goalkeeper Andy Lonergan while defender Yerry Mina and winger Andros Townsend are both departing at the end of the month when their current contracts expire along with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic who rejected a new deal.
Given his sterling service to the Blues over the past 14-and-a-half years since his transfer from Sligo Rovers for that now fabled £60,000 fee, Coleman had very much earned the right to choose his next step, whether that’s the continuation of his lengthy tenure in Everton’s squad or a new challenge but predictably appears to be closing in on another new deal at Goodison Park.
He might have even decide to go into coaching – be that with the Blues or elsewhere – having received his UEFA B coaching badge from then Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy back in January 2020 but most Evertonians will surely be pleased that he is set to stay put. With 352 Premier League appearances for the club under his belt, Coleman needs to play just three more games to overhaul his former team-mate Tim Howard’s record for the Blues in the competition while 25 further outings from his current total would move him into the club’s all-time top 10 and push out Dixie Dean and Leon Osman (both on 433 matches) in the process.
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It’s not mere sentiment and chasing landmark figures that should shape Coleman’s decision though. Although he turns 35 in October, he’s shown in recent months just how important he still is to the Everton cause.
The man from Killybegs in County Donegal missed the start of the season having gone under the knife to correct a groin issue. But with Nathan Patterson, the Scotland international brought in to be his long-term replacement, subsequently picking up an ankle injury playing for his country against Ukraine in September, Coleman was back in. Between his return at Southampton on October 1 when the skipper steered his side to the first of just two away wins – a 2-1 comeback success – to the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on April 8, he featured in all but one of Everton’s 23 matches.
However, it must have been excruciating for him to spend the bulk of the run-in on the sidelines – he lasted less than half a game out of the Blues’ last eight fixtures – after first suffering a hamstring problem and then being stretchered off in first-half stoppage time against relegation rivals Leicester City at the King Power Stadium with his latest knee injury requiring surgery. That inspirational image of Coleman pulling his body up while on a stretcher to give a defiant salute to his team-mates and the travelling fans tells you all you need to know about his character though.
Even when he wasn’t able to take to the field at crucial moments, the leader within the group was ensuring his presence was always being felt. Speaking ahead of Everton’s survival showdown against Bournemouth, Alex Iwobi said: “Seamus has been hobbling around on his crutches, coming into the changing room and trying to keep us motivated. He is basically Everton.
“He is always cheering us on and we can see what it means to him. So we are fighting for everyone at Everton to make sure we stay in the Premier League.
“He is always reminding us how so many people are affected by our results and what it means to Evertonians, to him, the people upstairs, the staff and what it should mean to us. He always reminds us that the least we can do is put 100% in.
“The last talk he gave was before the Wolves game. He will 100% speak to us before Bournemouth. He will probably talk before the game and that will definitely kick us off.”
It’s not just the Nigerian midfielder who has spoken glowingly about Coleman’s influence though. This might be a patchwork quilt of an Everton squad with players brought in by a series of different managers with wildly varying football philosophies but Sean Dyche became the latest Blues boss to sing his captain’s praises.
Speaking ahead of Coleman’s 400th appearance for Everton, Dyche said: “Seamus has been terrific and the word that is used a lot is model pro in my first experience of him. He’s an Everton legend and will be for many years after his years of service but also because of the way he is among the group.
“He has a very good and healthy demand, he has a good way of using his voice and his experience with the players. It’s not over the top, but he does demand.
“He has got a demanding way about him, he trains fantastically well and I thought he was excellent against Arsenal (Dyche’s first game in charge), the way he delivered that performance. And he still has got that edge.
“I have never really bothered about age (Coleman will be 35 in October). It is whether you have got that edge to go and play.
“He still has got that competitive edge and that is really important. That can keep players alive for a long time as long as they are fit and well.”
Carlo Ancelotti – who predicted Coleman could carry on playing at the top beyond his 40th birthday like his AC Milan icons Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta – compared him to some of the other great skippers he has managed. The Italian said: “It is important for a manager to have in his squad a player who is setting the standards really high.
“Seamus is an example for the others. In this sense, he is the same as John Terry, Paolo Maldini, Sergio Ramos; all great models for their team-mates.”
Rafael Benitez made a point of name-checking the Irishman in his first press conference as Blues boss, declaring: “He is an inspiration for everyone. He is a very good professional. He is very helpful for me. He can be a key player. I like him as a player and as a person.” Then after Everton stayed up with their dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace in their final home game of the 2021/22 season, Frank Lampard dubbed him “the best man I’ve ever met.”
For all the plaudits past and present though, Coleman will want his football to do the talking and a review of the ECHO’s average player ratings for the 2022/23 season paints a vivid picture regarding his form. He struggled at times in the previous campaign with an average mark of just 5.56 but it’s telling that the Everton captain’s mark of 6.68 for his 25 games this term was the highest of any outfield player who had turned out 10 times or more with just goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (6.79) ahead of him, suggesting there’s still plenty more in the tank from the Blues’ last remaining star from the David Moyes era.
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