Everton have been a busy club this January as the new manager Sam Allardyce is desperate to add some quality to his first team. They have already made a couple of additions this month but one player that has brought smiles to the Everton fans and fans of football, in general, is the return of full-back Seamus Coleman.
Arguably one of the best full-backs in the league, Coleman picked up a horrendous injury in March 2017 playing for his national side and was only back in training earlier this month. He was back on the pitch for the first team this week, playing up to an hour for the Everton U23, at the Goodison Park against Portsmouth, on Tuesday.
It was his first game back after a double leg break and it was evident that he was ready for first team action, thanks to a couple of crunching tackles he put on in that game.
He spoke to the media today and revealed that he is finally ready for the first-team action. “It was good to be back out there, just walking out at Goodison, getting the kit on again felt great,” he said, in an interview. So how big a boost is his come-back for Everton?
Having joined Everton back in 2009, Coleman has represented the Toffees in 247 games across all competitions till date, standing as their best option in all these years at the right-back spot. With 43 international appearances on his CV as well, the 29-year old is an experienced defender in the English top flight and has been missed by Everton this season.
Youngsters Jonjoe Kenny and Mason Holgate have taken this opportunity to establish themselves in the first team. They have also made sure that the Blues did not have to spend big on a right back, in Coleman’s absence.
Kenny, in particular, has been in solid form at both ends of the field. At just 20, he is the future for Everton in this role but surely, Coleman is the present.
The 29-year old will not only add stability to the side but will also be a marauding presence in the final third, which will add numbers and creativity to the attack. He can provide width to break down defences but is equally solid at the back, keeping even the best of the wingers in the league frustrated.
He may not walk into the first team this weekend but by the turn of the month, he should be ready for first team action and will surely have an effect on Everton’s points tally.
