The Friedkin Group were unveiled as the new owners of Everton on Thursday
Seamus Coleman says short-term goals of winning games does not change
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By WILL CASTLE
Published: 07:41 EST, 20 December 2024 | Updated: 07:41 EST, 20 December 2024
Seamus Coleman is certain the Friedkin Group will 'buy into' everything that Everton stands for after their long-running saga to find new owners was finally resolved.
The Friedkin Group were officially unveiled as the new custodians of the club on Thursday morning, bringing an end to Farhad Moshiri's turbulent ownership.
Long-serving Toffees captain Coleman expressed his excitement on the change and believes it will not take long for the new owners to fall in love with the club.
'For me, from my point of view, [Everton's values are] so important,' he told the Everton's official website.
'I've really bought into what this football club is about. It's a unique football club. It's a football club that expects certain things from their team.
'I'm sure the new owners will recognise that and buy into it as well because it's a special fanbase, it's a special city in general and they love their football here.
Seamus Coleman has expressed his excitement at The Friedkin Group's takeover of Everton
The Friedkin Group (pictured Dan Friedkin, who is worth £4.8billion) own Italian side Roma
The Friedkin Group's arrival brings an end to Farhad Moshiri's turbulent stint as owner
'It's been a tough four or five years for Everton but fingers crossed for the fans that there can be exciting things ahead.'
Everton are embarking on a new era, with new ownership coming just months prior to their seismic move away from Goodison Park, upping sticks to their new 53,000-capacity stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock.
Dan Friedkin, the stunt pilot and aviation expert worth £4.8bn, will lead the new empire and has appointed Marc Watts as executive chairman, with Ana Dunkel set to join the board as financial director.
The new owners are keen to stress they want stability and Watts has laid out six key goals: strengthen the men's squad through 'thoughtful and strategic investment'; cultivate home-grown academy stars; foster a distinct on-pitch and commercial strategy for the women's team; respect the club's traditions and keep Everton at the heart of the community; maximise the potential of the new stadium's commercial partnership and; enhance the club's reputation as a unique and historical worldwide name.
The Friedkins are also set to initially back manager Sean Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell, with no radical changes in either department forecasted.
The importance of stability is echoed by Coleman, who insists that a change in leadership does not alter the club's goals on the pitch here and now.
'In the short-term, we're just about winning games,' he added.
'The ownership is in the background and, of course, it's very exciting for the fans and what comes with it – but over the past three or four years, it's taught me that you can't look too much further than the next game. And that's not just cliché, it's true.
'We've been close to the line a few times over the past few years so, for us, it's just about winning the next game and the rest will take care of itself.'