The former Everton manager heaped praise on Seamus Coleman ahead of the meeting between Portugal and Republic of Ireland
Seamus Coleman competes with Bruno Fernandes during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Portugal and Republic of Ireland. Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty ImagesView Image
Roberto Martinez heaped praise on Seamus Coleman then watched as he helped to frustrate his Portugal stars.
The Everton club captain played 86 minutes as the Republic of Ireland sought a morale-boosting draw in Lisbon - exiting the pitch with the game goalless before watching from the bench as Ruben Neves scored a stoppage time winner for the hosts.
While the match ended in heartbreak for Coleman, who played alongside Blues teammate Jake O’Brien at the Estádio José Alvalade, it marked a happy reunion with Martinez.
The former Everton manager worked with Coleman across three seasons at the club. Asked to reflect on his work with the full-back by Paul Nealon, of Irish Football Fan TV, Martinez responded: “How long have you got - I think with Seamus I could speak for hours?
“In that season, 2013, in my opinion, he was the best right back in the Premier League by a mile. He is somebody who has got this incredible capacity to arrive in the final third, to defend one-v-one situations. And that leadership, it made him captain material from the first day. I love him, I love working with him.
“He was really demanding, somebody that you could see his evolution during the season and I have been very proud of seeing his career and to see him still at Everton, still being an important part of a club in the Premier League and then now still being in the national camp.”
Coleman, who turned 37 on Saturday, is viewed in a similar light by David Moyes, who signed him from Sligo Rovers in his first spell in the Blues dugout. The manager sought to retain his leadership skills and influence in the dressing room during this transitional season as the club starts life at Hill Dickinson Stadium and worked to extend his stay at the club for a further year in the summer.
When that deal was announced back in June, Moyes said: “Seamus is more than just a player at Everton. He offers so many different qualities. His leadership, his professionalism and his humanity are second to none. He’s helped carry the club through some difficult periods in the past few years and his influence in the dressing room has been key to that.
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“He's had to deal with some really difficult injuries, too, but he has done that and still been able to help inspire inside the dressing room at the same time.
“This could be a period of real change at the club and I want somebody who can help deliver the messages of what it means to be an Everton footballer. Seamus has always done that and I know he will continue to do so as we move into a new era.”