Seamus Coleman Takes on New Role with Republic of Ireland National Team
Seamus Coleman has been assigned a new role within the Republic of Ireland set-up by manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, who aims to extend the veteran defender’s playing career.
Coleman, 38, has been a free agent since leaving Everton at the end of last season and has openly talked about the possibility of retirement.
While Hallgrimsson announced a 24-man squad for upcoming Nations League matches against Austria and Kosovo, Coleman’s name was not included. However, the manager made it clear that the full-back would be joining the group, collaborating with the management team during the training camp.
Coleman bid farewell to Everton at the end of last season (Getty)
During the camp, Coleman will participate in team training sessions, which keeps the door open for him to potentially add to his 81 international caps.
“I can inform you that Seamus will be in some sort of a hybrid role this camp. He is going to do the sessions with the players, but he will also take on a leadership and supportive role with us as coaches,” Hallgrimsson detailed.
“Our hope is that this will motivate him to start playing again. He has indicated he wants to do that. However, we need to assess his current fitness since he hasn’t trained with a team recently. We recognize the temptation to call him up, especially considering his past performances for us despite limited playtime at Everton. We believe in his ability to contribute to the national team, but it’s a matter of assessing his readiness,” the manager added.
Aside from Coleman, there were few surprises in the squad, with fit-again captain Nathan Collins making his return alongside Harvey Vale and goalkeeper Mark Travers.
Ireland is set to travel to Linz on November 14 and will then host Kosovo in Dublin three days later.
Securing two victories from these matches could elevate the team to League A, while a single point may be sufficient to guarantee a play-off position as they aim for European Championship qualification.
Shea Lacey could qualify for Ireland through his father (Getty)
Notably absent from the squad is Josh Cullen. The Burnley midfielder is returning from an injury lay-off, and the manager has chosen to let him regain his match fitness before expecting him to participate.
“I spoke to Josh in London, he’s very close to full fitness but not quite at the level needed for international matches,” Hallgrimsson remarked. “He prefers to focus on fully regaining his fitness with the support of his club staff.”
The upcoming fixtures also come too soon for Evan Ferguson and Jaden Umeh, both of whom are addressing their own injuries.
Hallgrimsson offered limited details on Shea Lacey, a Manchester United prospect who could represent Ireland through his father. When asked about contacting the 19-year-old, he noted, “Not from me; that’s a matter for other officials within the association. It’s intriguing to consider his Irish connection.”
