The ECHO's Blues writers consider whether Seamus Coleman should be looked at amid David Moyes' search for answers at right back
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: David Moyes, Manager of Everton, interacts with his player Seamus Coleman prior to the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Everton and Mansfield Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
David Moyes interacts with Seamus Coleman prior to the Carabao Cup match between Everton and Mansfield Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 27, 2025
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Seamus Coleman impressed again on international duty, playing the full matches as Republic of Ireland sealed shock wins over Portugal and Hungary. The victories, achieved alongside fellow Everton team-mate Jake O’Brien, have taken Ireland through to the World Cup play-offs, meaning both could yet head to the USA next summer.
It was a massive moment for Coleman, who feared his international career was over when he was dropped from the squad in September.
His performances during the break add a new layer to the debate over the right-back position at Everton, who are still searching for an answer in that slot after failing to secure a new option in the summer. Last time out, against Fulham, James Garner moved across to take O’Brien’s spot.
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With uncertainty in that area of the pitch, is it now time for David Moyes to consider whether Coleman can be the answer?
Our writers have their say...
Joe Thomas
This all feels very surreal - the idea that Seamus Coleman could be the answer to the longstanding question: ‘How do you replace Seamus Coleman?’
My starting point is that I think Everton have room for improvement in that position. This side has made genuine progress following a complex summer and that deserves credit. But there is still room for further steps forward and that is particularly clear at right back.
Jake O’Brien has done an excellent job since he was moved there in January but the balance of the team remains off with the centre back there and it hurts Everton going forward.
While he is a solid option in a good defence, I am looking forward to O’Brien moving into his best position for the Blues and wonder if that day is not too far off.
James Garner is an interesting one. His experience in that position and his ability to push forward, along with his crossing skills, makes him a compelling case for the job - for now at least.
I still think he should be in Everton’s first-choice midfield set-up and my thoughts only intensify when I think of Idrissa Gueye leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Garner is having a good season and moving him out of the middle, at least until Merlin Rohl can further integrate, feels risky.
The obvious answer to this question is the only sensible answer - Everton should look to sign a new right back at the earliest possible opportunity. Until then, I am of the belief Coleman should be given a go.
Yes, he is 37 and there are concerns over whether his body can withstand week-in, week-out games. But his quality and experience remain useful assets and I would like to see him used more frequently - even if it is just here and there, depending on who else is available and where in the line-up they are needed.
There is value in having a consistent line-up but even if it is just for certain games, I don’t think the Blues would be weaker for using Coleman more often - certainly not if it means Garner can stay in the middle.
I also think that Coleman could offer useful management to Tyler Dibling on the right if, say, Dibling replaces Iliman Ndiaye during AFCON.
Everton have a busy schedule ahead and will need to call upon their squad. I hope Coleman at least gets the chance to remind us of his quality.
Chris Beesley
Seamus Coleman played two games for the Republic of Ireland over the past week that secured a brace of victories that keep his country’s dream of reaching next year’s World Cup finals alive.
The 37-year-old only needs to repeat the feat for David Moyes’ men, and he will knock Everton’s all-time leading goalscorer and most iconic player Dixie Dean out of the top-10 when it comes to appearances for the club.While nobody is ever getting close to Dean’s 383 goals for the club (he’s 223 ahead of closest challenger Graeme Sharp and nobody has even gone ‘ton up’ for Everton since the Scot), his 433 appearances, which are matched by Leon Osman with the pair of them currently in joint 10th spot, now look set to be usurped by his fellow Sligo Rovers old boy Coleman, who currently sits just one behind the duo on 432.
Although he has made back-to-back starts for Ireland in each of the last two international breaks, he hasn’t done the same for the Blues since the final two fixtures of 2023/24 against Sheffield United and Arsenal.Coleman lasted just 18 minutes after leading Everton out for their last-ever game at Goodison Park on May 18 in what was his first start since a trip to Manchester City the previous Boxing Day.
But while his appearances for the Blues over the past three seasons (23) are fewer than his all-time goals total for them (28), his recent heroics on international duty – where he lined up alongside club colleague Jake O’Brien on both occasions – show that he’s not necessarily a crock.
Those who are fortunate enough to know Coleman as a player and as a person will tell you how he embodies everything that’s good about Everton and while he now appears to be in the twilight of his career at the top, suggestions that his race is run, may yet be premature.
While Moyes said over the summer that he needed his skipper to stay on, the man from Killybegs would not have penned a new one-year deal if he felt he was no longer able to contribute and the right-back could still play his part for the Blues this term, especially in the busy period ahead, in what remains a problem position for his team.