SEAMUS COLEMAN WAS asked a lot of questions about his playing future when he spoke to the media ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s friendly with Qatar on Thursday evening.
We wanted to know if he had a new club lined up?
No, not yet, as he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before going on a summer holiday.
We wanted to know if walking out with his country at Euro 2028 was the defining factor in turning down a coaching role at Everton, so he could continue playing elsewhere.
Yes, of course, but he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before taking a summer holiday.
We wanted to know if he felt he could still play regularly in the Premier League?
He couldn’t say for certain as he acknowledged he hadn’t played much over the last two seasons but, anyway, he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before taking a summer holiday.
And we wanted to know how important the location of a new club would be in any decision given he has a wife and two young children?
Very, but, you guessed it, he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before taking a summer holiday.
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By the time it dawned on The Beat to just ask outright if the League of Ireland might be a viable option for him to, Coleman was already preparing to do his pre-training exercises with his international team-mates.
Coleman made it clear that he was fit and raring to go for the majority of the Premier League season that has just finished. He did pick up a hamstring injury on 25 November, after returning from a starring role on Ireland duty, but that did not derail his fitness.
He says he feels like he has fewer miles on the clock compared to other 37 year olds – Coleman turns 38 in October – and his competitive spirit is burning rather than flickering.
So would the League of Ireland make any sense?
Heimir Hallgrímsson was speaking alongside Coleman earlier this week and the Ireland boss had been suitably impressed by Shamrock Rovers duo Ed McGinty and Adam Brennan (who was playing First Division this time last year), Bohemians captain Dawson Devoy, and Cork City goalkeeper Conor Brann to include them for this window.
Look at the rest of the names in Hallgrímsson’s squad, including former Sligo Rovers full back Coleman, and 16 of the 24 came through at a League of Ireland club.
More than that, 15 of those played across the First and Premier Divisions. Only Mark Travers, who spent a few months at Shamrock Rovers before joining Bournemouth, didn’t play first-team football.
There was an enlightening stat which did the rounds in the days after Brazil defender Marquinhos produced a masterclass for Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich.
The 32-year-old centre back made nine starts in Ligue 1 compared to 14 out of a possible 16 in the Champions League. The PSG captain was trusted to manage his fitness with European competition the priority.
That master plan could deliver the ultimate pay-off with victory over Arsenal in Budapest on Saturday.
These are very different stakes – and levels – but would the premise translate?
Hallgrímsson said this week that Coleman already proved him wrong by not needing to play regular first-team football.
What if he was able to pick and choose his games for a League of Ireland club as part of a schedule that could best manage his body? What if there were some top-class European games thrown in for good measure? Maybe even at a club that plays three central defenders with wing backs and might require options across the back?
Coleman says he wants to enjoy a break this summer with his family, and he has earned that after 17 years with Everton. Given his character and quality, he won’t be shy of options – would you be at all surprised if Martin O’Neill gets the Celtic job on a full-time basis and decides he wants to use Coleman in the exact same way as Marquinhos?
The schedule of the League of Ireland season could also be an advantage in the short-term. Coleman is coming off a Premier League campaign in which he played just 20 minutes.
Would an abridged pre-season after a short holiday allow him to get stuck into the Premier Division – and possibly Europe – so that he’s primed for the start of the Nations League against Kosovo on 24 September?
And if the Euros is that carrot dangled in front of him for 2028, would it also make more sense to be heading into it less than halfway through a campaign rather than at the end of a gruelling one?
These don’t seem such ludicrous questions at this point in time – both in terms of where the League of Ireland finds itself and the stage of Coleman’s career. Even if the calibre of the player and character of the man makes you feel in your gut he must remain at as high a level as possible.
For now, of course, you can be sure that Coleman is just focused on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and seeing how he feels before taking a summer holiday.
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Could Coleman keep Ireland career alive by becoming the LOI's Marquinhos?
SEAMUS COLEMAN WAS asked a lot of questions about his playing future when he spoke to the media ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s friendly with Qatar on Thursday evening.
We wanted to know if he had a new club lined up?
No, not yet, as he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before going on a summer holiday.
We wanted to know if walking out with his country at Euro 2028 was the defining factor in turning down a coaching role at Everton, so he could continue playing elsewhere.
Yes, of course, but he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before taking a summer holiday.
We wanted to know if he felt he could still play regularly in the Premier League?
He couldn’t say for certain as he acknowledged he hadn’t played much over the last two seasons but, anyway, he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before taking a summer holiday.
And we wanted to know how important the location of a new club would be in any decision given he has a wife and two young children?
Very, but, you guessed it, he was focusing on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and wanted to see how he felt before taking a summer holiday.
By the time it dawned on The Beat to just ask outright if the League of Ireland might be a viable option for him to, Coleman was already preparing to do his pre-training exercises with his international team-mates.
Coleman made it clear that he was fit and raring to go for the majority of the Premier League season that has just finished. He did pick up a hamstring injury on 25 November, after returning from a starring role on Ireland duty, but that did not derail his fitness.
He says he feels like he has fewer miles on the clock compared to other 37 year olds – Coleman turns 38 in October – and his competitive spirit is burning rather than flickering.
So would the League of Ireland make any sense?
Heimir Hallgrímsson was speaking alongside Coleman earlier this week and the Ireland boss had been suitably impressed by Shamrock Rovers duo Ed McGinty and Adam Brennan (who was playing First Division this time last year), Bohemians captain Dawson Devoy, and Cork City goalkeeper Conor Brann to include them for this window.
Look at the rest of the names in Hallgrímsson’s squad, including former Sligo Rovers full back Coleman, and 16 of the 24 came through at a League of Ireland club.
More than that, 15 of those played across the First and Premier Divisions. Only Mark Travers, who spent a few months at Shamrock Rovers before joining Bournemouth, didn’t play first-team football.
There was an enlightening stat which did the rounds in the days after Brazil defender Marquinhos produced a masterclass for Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich.
The 32-year-old centre back made nine starts in Ligue 1 compared to 14 out of a possible 16 in the Champions League. The PSG captain was trusted to manage his fitness with European competition the priority.
That master plan could deliver the ultimate pay-off with victory over Arsenal in Budapest on Saturday.
These are very different stakes – and levels – but would the premise translate?
Hallgrímsson said this week that Coleman already proved him wrong by not needing to play regular first-team football.
What if he was able to pick and choose his games for a League of Ireland club as part of a schedule that could best manage his body? What if there were some top-class European games thrown in for good measure? Maybe even at a club that plays three central defenders with wing backs and might require options across the back?
Coleman says he wants to enjoy a break this summer with his family, and he has earned that after 17 years with Everton. Given his character and quality, he won’t be shy of options – would you be at all surprised if Martin O’Neill gets the Celtic job on a full-time basis and decides he wants to use Coleman in the exact same way as Marquinhos?
The schedule of the League of Ireland season could also be an advantage in the short-term. Coleman is coming off a Premier League campaign in which he played just 20 minutes.
Would an abridged pre-season after a short holiday allow him to get stuck into the Premier Division – and possibly Europe – so that he’s primed for the start of the Nations League against Kosovo on 24 September?
And if the Euros is that carrot dangled in front of him for 2028, would it also make more sense to be heading into it less than halfway through a campaign rather than at the end of a gruelling one?
These don’t seem such ludicrous questions at this point in time – both in terms of where the League of Ireland finds itself and the stage of Coleman’s career. Even if the calibre of the player and character of the man makes you feel in your gut he must remain at as high a level as possible.
For now, of course, you can be sure that Coleman is just focused on taking these summer friendlies in his stride and seeing how he feels before taking a summer holiday.
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League of Ireland LOI loi2026 Seamus coleman Soccer THE BEAT