Everton captain Seamus Coleman will take on former Toffees boss Roberto Martinez in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday night.
The final international break of 2025 is upon us, and Everton players will be in action across the world.
Some players have not been selected by their countries, with Jack Grealish among those snubbed in this international period.
Three Everton players are in one squad, as Mark Travers, Jake O’Brien and Seamus Coleman join forces with the Republic of Ireland.
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Roberto Martinez on Everton’s Seamus Coleman
The trio could feature on Thursday night as the Republic of Ireland host Portugal in Dublin.
We may even see Toffees skipper Coleman lining up against his former Everton boss in Martinez.
Coleman played 117 times under Martinez at Everton, racking up 13 goals and seven assists from right-back.
Coleman is 37 now and perhaps not the attacking threat he was under the Spaniard, but Martinez has not forgotten him.
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In the last international break, Martinez praised Coleman as the Premier League’s best right-back during their time together at Everton.
Speaking to O Jogo on Wednesday, Martinez has doubled down on that praise.
Martinez hailed Coleman for his experience and leadership, believing that he is still a key part of the Ireland setup despite his advancing years.
“I like him a lot, I’ve always enjoyed working with him and for me he was the best right-back in the Premier League at the time,” said Martinez.
“We can see that he uses his experience well, how he communicates and organises the team. He remains a very important player for Ireland, because I also know what he brings to the dressing room,” he added.
Hard to disagree with Roberto Martinez’s verdict on Seamus Coleman
Other right-backs may stake a claim here, from Kyle Walker to Cesar Azpilicueta, but Coleman was outstanding.
The combination of Coleman at right-back and Leighton Baines at left-back gave Everton serious attacking quality down the flanks.
Few right-backs could match Coleman’s attacking output, and he really took his game to another level under Martinez.
Coleman’s best goalscoring season came in Martinez’s first campaign as Everton boss, scoring six times in 36 games.
The Guardian reported in 2014 that Manchester United wanted to sign Coleman, with a £20million fee mentioned.
In truth, Coleman was worth much more than that, and while his best days may be behind him, tonight’s clash between Ireland and Portugal brings back great memories of his display under Martinez.