Seamus Coleman took his time contemplating whether to sign a new Everton deal before concluding: “It’s hard to walk away from something you love.”
The club captain committed to a further 12 months with the Blues in the final days of June, just as his old contract was coming to an end. The agreement will take the 34-year-old into his 15th year at Goodison Park.
There is no doubt the Republic of Ireland international loves the club at which he has made his name - his passion and dedication having been highlighted by Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche as a key dressing room positive across the relegation battles of the last two seasons.
And there is no doubt his love for the club is reciprocated by the supporters, who sang his name through the final day win against Bournemouth despite him being unable to step onto the pitch through injury. That clearly played a role in his decision to stay a further 12 months.
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Speaking as the first team returned to Finch Farm for the start of pre-season this week, Coleman discussed his deliberations over whether to commit to the Blues for another year. He told the club website: “I had a bit of thinking time this time round, which is different to the usual ones, but it is hard to walk away from something you love. This is my club and I love it.”
Coleman, who moved to Merseyside from Sligo Rovers in 2009, was not a stranger to Finch Farm during the close season. He continued rehabilitation work on the knee injury that ended the last campaign early for him during the summer, breaking for a family holiday just before pre-season.
As his attention now turns to next season, he is thinking positively - both personally and for the wider club. He explained: “You always hope for better, and the last couple of years haven’t been great, but I will always believe that things can get better. The manager has come in and the lads went to the wire but showed good mentality towards the end of the season in certain games - Wolves away, Leicester away - getting points that were important. I’m sure with a pre-season under this manager, when he gets his own style across to us and what he wants and changes in the mentality of the group and hopefully changes in the mentality of people around the training ground as well, that we can get better.”
Coleman wants to be part of that improvement and to lead from the front at the place where he is beloved. To do that, he knows he needs to do more than sign a new deal - he will not take it for granted that he will add to his 409 senior appearances.
Speaking of his longevity at the club, he said: “I’m extremely fortunate. I came over here as a reserve player and just wanted to be the best I could be every single day and keep pushing every single day and, from that first training session to my last training session before I got injured, I went into it with the same desire, same motivation, same application and gave 100% every single time.
"There is no big secret to the longevity. I just love what I do and I give it my all every single time, whether I play well or don’t play well, or train well or don’t train well, I always go with maximum effort. I love what I do, I am very fortunate and hopefully there will be a few more appearances.”
