Latest news with #SeamusColeman
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jake O'Brien stresses importance of keeping Ireland team-mate Seamus Coleman at Everton in some capacity
JAKE O'BRIEN has stressed the importance of keeping Séamus Coleman at Everton in some capacity. 2 Jake O'Brien says it's vital Everton keep Seamus Coleman at the club in some capacity 2 The Ireland skipper's future is uncertain at the club as he ponders retirement That is despite recurring injury problems which have given the Whatever happens, O'Brien wants Coleman around for the club's move into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. O'Brien said: 'He's a huge part of the club at Everton, everyone knows that, he's highly respected at the club, what he's going to do next,I don't know. 'He can do what he wants, if he wants to be a coach or a player, either one he wants to be but I think it's important we keep him at the club, he's at the heart of everything.' READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Coleman was in joint caretaker charge with Leighton Baines in January, following the sacking of Sean Dyche. They were at the helm for one match, against Peterborough United in the FA Cup, in which O'Brien made his first start since a League Cup tie earlier. And O'Brien said: 'He was only caretaker manager for a week or so but it was great, he's like that all the time, always driving standards in training, he was no different as caretaker that week, he is always driving standards.' The appointment of Most read in Football O'Brien said: 'He just knew the club really well and what worked for the club and I think he just got to know the players really well and what works for the team. 'He didn't come in and try to change too much all of a sudden. He was very open-minded when you were speaking to him and I'm grateful that he's given me a chance. Everton make incredible gesture to Seamus Coleman following Ireland captain signing latest contract extension 'Six months back I was in a different place, I wasn't where I thought I'd be when I came to Everton. "I worked hard every day in training, it happens in football, sometimes managers favour you and others don't, a lot can happen in six months. 'Everyone knows that he knows what he is doing and that has shown in the last six months with how we finished strongly in the season.' The importance of versatility was underlined by the inclusion of O'Brien said: 'I have always followed him as we had a solid centre back partnership coming up through Cork CIty, so it's great to have him in, he's been doing really well and he deserves this.' Regular game-time for O'Brien at club level led to his first competitive start for Ireland against Bulgaria in March. The team secured its place in the second tier of Nations League but is now targeting a more meaningful achievement, World Cup qualification for the first time in almost a quarter of a century. FRIENDLY FIRE Friday's friendly against Senegal - featuring his Everton team-mates Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye - will be an important marker. O'Brien said: 'We go into every game confident we can win. 'We have a good enough squad and staff to qualify for the World Cup and it would be great for the country if we can do that, we are more than good enough to do so. 'We all feel we are good enough, this is a different type of opposition to what we are used to. "But it's important we play these types of teams and players, different opposition and know that we are more than good enough to take on these teams. 'The two lads I know are obviously really good players who have had really good seasons in the Premier League. 'If you look at the overall squad, they've very good players and I think it's good for us to come up against these teams and prepare for the World Cup and know that we're good enough to go toe to toe with these teams.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why David Moyes wants to strike key Everton deal as club favourite set for exit
David Moyes faces one of the toughest challenges of his managerial career with Everton this summer. The club enters this summer with hopes that new ownership will provide stability behind-the-scenes while the move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium should boost the Blues' reputation, revenue and appeal to the new signings Moyes will need to strengthen his squad in line with the ambitions of The Friedkin Group and supporters. Advertisement With that expectation - intensified after his transformative impact on a squad that looked destined for a relegation fight when he took over in January - comes additional pressure though. For Moyes, the test over the coming months is to protect the characteristics that enabled Everton to surge away from trouble and finish with three consecutive wins, while making room for players who will improve what his squad is capable of. READ MORE: Goodison Park shook and Everton had hope - dramatic Bournemouth win in the words of those behind it READ MORE: Liam Delap Manchester United transfer warning sent after Everton talks - 'Not an upgrade' Advertisement Key to his mindset this summer is leadership. Moyes is aware he will need strong characters in the dressing room, not just to set standards but also to impress the responsibility of wearing Royal Blue on new recruits and to help the move from Goodison to the banks of the Mersey - something he is concerned could prove tough. This is one of the reasons he is keen for Seamus Coleman to stay on as a player next season. Moyes is not naive, he is aware the defender will turn 37 this year and that his body has prevented him from sustained availability yet again this season. After starting the Boxing Day draw at Manchester City, Coleman was unavailable for weeks. Twenty minutes into the Goodison farewell against Southampton that he had been protected for, he had to be withdrawn. But manager after manager has spoken of the value of Coleman off the pitch and several, most notably Frank Lampard, have stressed the importance of his influence as a bridge between the stands and the squad. Amid a miserable start to this season it was Coleman's words in the dressing room that prompted the second half comeback against Crystal Palace, Everton's first win of the campaign. Moyes has been impressed with the leadership within the squad he inherited from Sean Dyche. But a complex summer that began with 15 senior players on expiring deals has seen the departure of two of the stars whose impact Moyes was grateful for - Ashley Young and Asmir Begovic. Advertisement For some time it has been clear Coleman will have the chance to extend his stay at Everton for another year, but with the defender having supported former teammate Leighton Baines in the dugout after Dyche's exit and already boasting his coaching qualifications , it was unclear in what capacity he would stay, should he choose to remain. Coleman is one of several players whose future the club is yet to confirm, but Moyes has already made his personal preference clear. 'The plan is to keep him on a playing contract', he said before the win over Southampton. 'But we'll decide when we need to use him and when we won't. It might change, obviously Seamus is getting much further down the road and he's picked up a lot of injuries, so we'll see what fits, but generally he'll be staying next season.' Moyes added: 'We'll need people who understand the characteristics and culture, but we're also going to have to change as well. We have to move forward and we have to find ways of becoming a better side and being a better team. That's part of football. But we don't want to lose good people, we don't want to lose good characters and we want to retain the good things if we can.' Advertisement Jordan Pickford: 'We're going to lose some great servants' With Coleman absent through injury at Newcastle United on Sunday, it was Jordan Pickford who took the armband at the ground where he is subject to the greatest attention. Speaking after another impressive clean sheet, he also alluded to the loss of leaders that will come with the squad overhaul this summer. He told club media : 'We're going to lose some great servants of the club, great leaders in the team, but it's about, like the manager said, the other lads picking it up, picking the pieces and moving on… It's always an honour to captain Everton,' he continued. 'And, you know, when Seamus is not available and Tarks isn't, you've got to step up and it's something I'm really proud of and I know I've always been a leader. Everyone leads in different ways. 'But as well, there wasn't much of a team talk before the game. It was more the gaffer just said to show character. And I think that's what we did.' Advertisement Like Moyes in his post-match press conference , Pickford hopes the momentum gained in recent weeks can be carried through the summer. Players and staff are well aware of the need to start life at the new stadium well. He said: 'There was no pressure on the game, but that's not the level. The level was what we went out and showed today. And as a team performance, it was a great one to finish on. 'That is the standard and it's about continuing next season and it's about starting well – not getting the results at Christmas through to May. "It's about sustaining that momentum throughout the season. And when we take hits, it's how we bounce back as a team. And that's what the manager will be driving next season.' Advertisement James Tarkowski earns European recognition Pickford was handed the captaincy not just in the absence of Coleman but also of centre back James Tarkowski as he continues his recovery from hamstring surgery. The talismanic defender - responsible for the sensational stoppage time equaliser in the last Goodison derby this season - may have missed the last month of the campaign but that has not stopped him from joining some impressive company in the Who Scored? team of the year - for the whole of Europe. Based on the average ratings collated by the statistics site, which has almost one million followers on X alone, Tarkowski ended up in a back three of RB Leipzig's Willi Orban and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. The 32-year-old's average rating trumped both of those and landed Tarkowski in a star-studded team that included Barcelona's teen prodigy Lamine Yamal as well as Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. 'Contract Dave' set to leave Manchester United Former Everton director of football operations David Harrison - fondly known as 'Contract Dave' - is leaving Manchester United amid restructuring behind-the-scenes at the club. Harrison spent 27 years at the Blues, finishing in the role he went to take at Old Trafford back in February 2023. Advertisement He was based at the Carrington Training Centre and took responsibility for football operations for the men's, women's and academy teams. But he is now one of several senior figures set to depart, according to the Training Ground Guru website . Harrison's face became familiar to generations of Blues with him typically being the club official sat next to players in the photographs distributed to announce new signings and contract extensions.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Everton announcements imminent as decisions to be made on four players after window opens
Four senior Everton first team players have entered the final month of their Blues contracts with their futures unresolved. Idrissa Gueye, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman are on deals that will expire at the end of June. Talks remain ongoing and clear hints have been dropped on what David Moyes hopes to do with several of them . Advertisement But the club is in the unusual position of entering the summer transfer window - which has opened weeks earlier than typical due to the upcoming Club World Cup - without having confirmed who will stay and who will go from the existing squad, publicly at least. READ MORE: Managing Everton - Ben Doak admired as two signings announced and midfield options emerge READ MORE: I know what David Moyes will be targeting at Everton - Newcastle and Aston Villa have done it Here is what we know so far. Seamus Coleman The question over the club captain has, for months, been whether he will accept the opportunity he has to remain at Everton and, if so, in what capacity. Advertisement There was little surprise when Moyes confirmed three months ago that he wanted to retain Coleman's influence beyond the summer. His pronouncements at the time meant Moyes was willing to express hope over the Republic of Ireland international's situation before he was happy to concede he had led Everton to safety with the form he inspired across late January and February. Speaking in early March, Moyes said: 'You don't just keep people for the sake of keeping them because if you did every club would have hundreds of old players there, but if we had our way we would try and keep Seamus around definitely .' At the time, Moyes highlighted all options - for Coleman to remain in the playing squad, become an academy coach or play a hybrid player/coach role. Last month, Moyes went a step further over the defender he so famously signed for just £60,000 in his first stint back in 2009, acknowledging it was his hope Coleman would remain in the playing squad. Advertisement 'The plan is to keep him on a playing contract', he said before the win over Southampton . 'But we'll decide when we need to use him and when we won't. It might change, obviously Seamus is getting much further down the road and he's picked up a lot of injuries, so we'll see what fits, but generally he'll be staying next season.' Coleman started the Goodison farewell game against Southampton but was forced off with injury inside the first 20 minutes. His exit did not have the hallmarks of a goodbye - unlike that of teammate Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose tears suggested, as would prove to be the case, that he would leave the club this summer. Moyes is aware this summer will be one of serious transition, with the playing squad overhauled and the team moving to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. He values the input Coleman could have during a turbulent time in the dressing room, hence his eagerness to keep him as a player. Coleman has completed his coaching badges and, after partnering Leighton Baines in the dugout for the FA Cup game that fell between the reigns of Sean Dyche and Moyes, said he was open to going into management . Whatever the final decision, everything points to Moyes doing what he can to ensure he retains Coleman's influence in some form as the player heads towards his 37th birthday. Advertisement Idrissa Gueye Gueye is another veteran who, like Coleman, is a key personality at Finch Farm and who, like Moyes, is enjoying a resurgence in his second stint at the club. The 35-year-old was voted player of the season by supporters and his importance in the streak of wins that followed Moyes' arrival was clear. Amid an injury crisis in the middle, Gueye was the consistent presence who helped Everton retain a resolute core. While his age - he will turn 36 in September - means there is an awareness his intensity may start to reduce there has been no sign of that yet. The Senegal international was responsible for more tackles than any other Premier League player this season and, while his energy levels are as high as they remain, Moyes sees clear value in the former Paris Saint Germain player's presence. Moyes hopes to strengthen his central midfield this summer and part of that will mean trying to put in place a framework that allows Everton to be less reliant on Gueye being on top of his game, all of the time. There is an understanding that getting the best out of him for as long as possible will mean offering him the protection of a midfield unit that can be trusted should he need or want a rest. Advertisement His future has not been confirmed but there have been indications over the direction of travel. Talks over a new deal were understood to be progressing well through this week and Gueye, who typically keeps a low profile on social media, sent a flurry of posts about the 'bright future' of the club and responded to Blues who had messaged him about his contract position. None amounted to an official announcement but it did not look like the activity of a player on the verge of saying goodbye. Michael Keane For much of this season the assumption was that Keane's time at Everton would draw to a close this summer. The centre back has endured a rollercoaster of emotions on Merseyside - he is one of many who has had to fight through the turmoil on and off the pitch over recent years but has produced so many standout moments that his highlight reel is more impressive than most to have donned Royal Blue across the recent past. Keane started the famous, survival-clinching comeback against Crystal Palace with his clever finish, thundered in from long-range against Tottenham Hotspur and produced a lethal strike against Ipswich Town that only strengthened his credentials as one of the best finishers at the club. Advertisement Once Everton moved for towering centre back Jake O'Brien last summer, Keane appeared to slip down the pecking order to the point that a clean break felt inevitable when his contract expired. Yet the 32-year-old has, quietly, enjoyed an impressive season . Dyche caused surprise when he turned to Keane over O'Brien amid Branthwaite's injury issues at the start of the campaign and, after a difficult opening for the whole team, the experienced defender was unfortunate to lose his place when Branthwaite returned. Amid injuries at the back at the end of the season, Moyes turned to Keane and was left impressed. A tough second half cameo against Manchester City was later followed by dominant performances in the wins at Fulham and Newcastle United. Moyes, like Dyche, has been left impressed with Keane's professionalism and his ability to provide cover for those in front of him. Even before James Tarkowski's season-ending hamstring injury, Everton were set to enter this summer unsure whether a rival might test their resolve with a big offer for Branthwaite. Advertisement O'Brien has proved himself capable in the middle but Moyes will want four centre back options next season, with out-of-contract Mason Holgate also expected to depart after two seasons away on loan. As a result, Keane's form has left him considering whether he is better off sticking with a figure he can trust than entering the market in yet another position. There have been talks between the club and player's camp but there is interest in Keane from elsewhere, adding to the complexity of the situation. Dominic Calvert-Lewin Perhaps the most complicated of the contract calls is the decision to be made over Calvert-Lewin. Moyes is confident the striker can produce more than he did in the first half of this season, when he maintained his fitness but laboured in front of goal in a Dyche setup that relied on him doing a lot of work without being provided much service. That started to change when Moyes returned and the 28-year-old produced a cute finish in the win over Spurs as his confidence began to grow. Advertisement Two problems have since emerged for Calvert-Lewin though. The first is that, having done so well to put the injury problems of his past behind him, fears over his durability returned to the fore when he was ruled out for months with a hamstring issue suffered at Brighton and Hove Albion . The second was that, when he was fit, he missed chances - shooting over from Jesper Lindstrom's pull-back in Moyes' first game back against Aston Villa and then missing a glorious opportunity to end the contest late in the final day win at Newcastle United. Set against the goalscoring form of his main rival Beto during his absence, it has been a tough six months for the striker, who opted against signing fresh terms when they were offered to him last summer. Moyes has spent weeks trying to weigh up whether he can place faith in the troubling fitness record of a player he believes has a level of quality he would otherwise find difficult to bring to the club. The expected loss of the battle to sign Liam Delap, who last week appeared set to join Chelsea, will have added further intrigue to a fluid situation.
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Seamus Coleman and Sammie Szmodics pull out of Republic of Ireland squad
Seamus Coleman and Sammie Szmodics have withdrawn from Republic of Ireland's squad for next month's friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg through injury. Everton defender Coleman missed Sunday's 1-0 Premier League victory at Newcastle with a thigh problem, while forward Szmodics, who has been working his way back from ankle surgery in March, was used as a late substitute in relegated Ipswich's 3-1 final-day defeat by West Ham. Ireland's Andrew Moran Brighton midfielder Andrew Moran, who spent last season on loan at Sky Bet Championship Stoke, has been drafted into the squad as a result. A Football Association of Ireland statement said: 'Seamus Coleman and Sammie Szmodics have withdrawn from the squad through injury. 'Andrew Moran comes into the squad to face Senegal and Luxembourg with the squad set to report on Sunday, June 1.' Ireland play Senegal in Dublin on June 6 before travelling to Luxembourg four days later.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Heimir Hallgrimsson keen for Seamus Coleman to continue international career
Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson is desperate to retain Seamus Coleman's experience as he plots a way through the upcoming World Cup qualification campaign. The 36-year-old Everton defender has been a mainstay for successive Ireland managers during a senior international career which currently spans more than 14 years, and Hallgrimsson is keeping his fingers crossed that one of his most influential players is still around when Hungary head for Dublin in September for the opening qualifier. Coleman has been forced to withdraw from the squad for next week's friendly against Senegal and the trip to Luxembourg which follows it because of a thigh injury, but the Icelander is keen to retain what he offers both on and off the pitch in the longer term. MNT SQUAD CONFIRMED 🇮🇪 Seamus Coleman and Sammie Szmodics have withdrawn from the squad through injury 🔁 Andrew Moran comes into the squad to face Senegal and Luxembourg with the squad set to report on Sunday, June 1 👏 06/06 | 🇮🇪🆚🇸🇳10/06 | 🇱🇺🆚🇮🇪 — Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) May 29, 2025 Hallgrimsson said: 'He is a leader in this squad and you cannot have his experience in many players. His experience, his leadership skills are one thing, but his quality as a player is another thing as well. 'He's been playing at the highest level for such a long time, so it's a shame for me – and, of course the national team – not to have him around. But hopefully there will come another time for him, hopefully it will be just the off-season and he'll come fit and flying. 'I know he's going to be at Everton in whatever role, maybe a little bit more leadership role, but it's for him to answer if he's going to continue playing or not. 'It's his decision, but I'm hoping – and I know the Evertonians are hoping – he will continue playing.' Asked if there was a possibility that Coleman might announce his retirement from international football in the meantime, Hallgrimsson said: 'That's for him to decide, not me.' The Ireland boss, who has not called up the majority of his Sky Bet Championship players for this camp because of the length of time since the end of their regular season, will also have to do without Ipswich's Sammie Szmodics for the double-header after he suffered a reaction while recovering from ankle surgery. Hallgrimsson said: 'We knew that he was injured, we were hopeful that he would be ready. He played, I think, 10, 15 minutes in the last game for Ipswich, but the ankle got swollen afterwards, so we decided it's not worth the risk to have him in our squad now. 'Hopefully he will have a good pre-season and come in flying in September.' Brighton midfielder Andrew Moran, who spent last season on loan at Stoke, has been drafted into the squad as cover. Had Ireland been drawn into a five-team group rather than a four, they would have been playing qualifiers instead of friendlies next month, and Hallgrimsson admits he is happy about that. He said: 'The June window has not been successful for Ireland in the past, it's been a tricky window, not playing for a month and then coming in to the national team camp for a game that's maybe on a higher level than you play on a regular basis. 'You are never 100 per cent physically fit or mentally focused after a holiday period, so yes, I am happy we are not playing World Cup group stage at this time.'
