Updated at 18.36
MARTIN O’NEILL SAYS that Seamus Coleman will meet up with the Ireland squad ahead of their crunch World Cup qualifier with Austria next month.
Ireland are currently training at Fota Island Resort in Cork, but O’Neill was in Dublin to speak to The Nicky Byrne Show on 2FM.
“I was speaking to him just a few days ago,” said the Derry man.
“He is really up for [joining up with the squad] and he is going to come over and join us for a few days before the Austria game, which would be a massive lift for the players.
He is a top class captain. You talk to him around the hotel for a couple of days, he’s self-effacing.
“Then he goes into the dressing room and he’s a different character completely.”
O’Neill also said Coleman is well able to divide his loyalties when it comes to any disagreement between the Ireland boss and Everton manager Ronald Koeman.
“I think Seamus can divide the two up. Obviously, his bread and butter — as they say — is club football. That’s where he earns his living.
But Seamus has obviously got great pride wearing the shirt for Ireland. When he is over in Ireland I think he has total concentration on that and when he goes back there, it’s club football.
“I think he feels ‘let the two of them argue and I’ll just stay out of it’,” said O’Neill.
As Coleman recovers from a broken leg sustained against Wales, O’Neill added that the 28-year old’s mental strength was proving just as important as his physical toughness.
“He is coming to terms with the injury, which is the most important thing. He is very strong mentally and I think things are going well physically for him as well, so that’s great news.
I went to see him a couple of weeks ago when he was still in Donegal. He was really, really upbeat.
“He has really good people around him.
“Obviously his family is very, very strong and Seamus of all people — even though you wouldn’t know because off the field he is pretty shy and a really nice lad — he’s got a real steely determination.
“I don’t think he would have got into a position of one of the best full-backs in Europe if he hadn’t that steely determination. That’ll carry him through.”
You can listen to the full interview here.
