Seamus Coleman, Everton star and club captain, speaks with Blues correspondent Joe Thomas during an emotional return to Ireland. “It wasn’t until we had the previous two or three years that I completely comprehended and understood how significant this football club is to the people. This has a significant impact on the life of particular families and individuals, regardless of what they are going through. I know that sounds extreme, but the folks I’ve met and talked to are passionate about Everton. That is what gets them out of bed in the morning.
It’s vital that I can feel it so that when I need to speak to the group, I can use that feeling and make them experience it because they don’t see it as often as I do.” Seamus Coleman has no idea when he stopped being just a player at Everton. He is conscious that he is in a unique position, serving as a bridge between the dressing room and the stands. But as five years on Merseyside went into ten, and then fifteen, he can’t remember when or why a friendship that has helped Everton become something so unusual and precious in today’s game.
He is too humble to think it has anything to do with his ability on the field. “It is not like I am Leighton Baines and I am getting 20 assists a season,” he said in a moment of reflection in the lobby of the hotel used by Everton during its pre-season camp in Ireland, adding: “It’s not like I’ve been the most talented player to put on an Everton jersey; I just worked really hard, respected my managers, respected the Everton badge, and in return, I think Evertonians respect that and, you know, they just want to see people give their all.”
What he does believe has been significant is his decision to stay in Liverpool during his Everton career. Instead of placing a space between himself and the intensity of the city’s love affair with its football clubs, he has welcomed it. As a result, the supporters now have a better understanding of their surroundings. He has used his understanding to help Everton fans cope with off-field issues and three relegation battles on the pitch. He stated, “It is a unique club full of industrious and honest individuals, much like the fans. When things go bad, they’ll tell you the truth. But don’t we all need that from time to time?
When hope threatened to turn to despair, the club captain has drawn on these memories to inspire stirring speeches that have unlocked the additional strength required to keep Everton in the top flight. Such a role did not come easily to him, but it reinforced his reputation as a legend in both the locker room and the stands. “I think we just all dipped into whatever powers we could possibly use” , he commented.
“I keep coming back to the last three years because they were the most difficult. And mine was what I mentioned: I was living in the city and getting, just by going out – to a play park on a Sunday, or to get milk on a Monday – I’d run into Evertonians and they’d give me their messages, and it was natural for me to do that, whether calmly or emotionally or whatever, and it just kind of fell into place.
I’m not actively seeking recognition for these things; they just came naturally to me. And I wouldn’t say there’s a single moment. I just think that as the club’s captain, you’re going to have to do these things. That influence has been as important to Frank Lampard’s announcement. Coleman is one of the best individuals he has ever met, as evidenced by the big banner erected at Goodison to commemorate his arrival. Football stars and fans alike can vouch to his value.
The margins have been so close – the late comeback against Crystal Palace in the final week of the season, the Abdoulaye Doucoure goal against Bournemouth on the final day of the following season – that Coleman’s’superpower’ may have made the difference between survival and relegation. He has felt the weight of his responsibilities. He said, “Going back to the Palace night, it was terrible. Then came the Bournemouth game, and we were one kick away from relegation. There is significant pressure. But I can’t park it. That is my character. It’s always there, and it’s all or nothing.
That has always been the case for the player who, in January, eclipsed Tim Howard as Everton’s all-time Premier League appearance leader. While his public appearances are uncommon, it is not uncommon for him to state that his family and the club are “his world”.
This week, those worlds will collide on the east coast of Ireland, where Coleman grew up and began his football career. It will be his team’s first visit to his family’s domain, and emotions are anticipated to run high as Everton take the pitch at Sligo Rovers – the club that received the infamous “60 grand” transfer price, now regarded as one of the best transactions of the Premier League era. While he is not one for the spotlight, he considers himself fortunate that so many people who were so vital to his development would have the opportunity to share their experiences right on their doorstep.
He said, “It’s very special.” When I left Sligo Rovers to join Everton, I was a young, shy, reticent footballer who was completely out of my depth. I am returning as club captain, having played more than 400 games for the club. I’m not one to look back on my accomplishments since it saps my motivation and appetite, but it has given me some time to think on a crazy ride. People in Sligo, Killybegs, and Donegal are quite thrilled about it. We will never have another opportunity like this, and everything worked out perfectly.
I’m fortunate that it has.” Before the dust settles on his comeback, a club documentary about his career will bring the key players in his growth back into the spotlight. A lovely, polished performance that exemplifies Coleman’s veneration, much of which stems from his own humility and gratitude for those who have helped him along the way.
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