Seamus Coleman spoke about his Everton Premier League appearance record and the move to the new stadium in the final episode of Goodison Park: My Home
Everton captain Seamus Coleman speaks to the ECHO's Chris Beesley on the final episode of Goodison Park: My Home
Captain Seamus Coleman insists he’s “all right” in terms of his fitness ahead of an announcement on his Everton future but has backed one of his team-mates to overhaul his record for the most Premier League appearances with the club. When he was Blues boss, Carlo Ancelotti tipped Coleman to continue playing until he was 40, but the Republic of Ireland international is one of 14 players at Everton, including loanees, whose current contracts expire this summer.
Coleman, who turns 37 on October 11, has made just five appearances so far this season, less than half the figure of his lowest previous total (12) in 2017/18 when he was recovering from a double leg break, but he maintains there is not a problem in this respect.
Speaking in the final episode of the Goodison Park: My Home series – in an interview that took place at the ground itself – he told the ECHO: “I’m all right. I’ve had a kind of difficult season in terms of injuries but listen, I put a lot into what I do, physically and emotionally as an Everton player over the last few years.
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“In many ways it’s not just been playing pressure, it’s been trying to galvanise people at all times. It’s been a tough year physically, but as I said, the most-important thing for this football club was to get to the new stadium as a Premier League club and that’s ticked off and the club can look to a brighter future, please God.”
Coleman overhauled his former team-mate Tim Howard’s record for the most Premier League appearances for Everton (354) in the 0-0 draw at home to Aston Villa on January 14 last year and has now reached 368. However, with 427 games in all competitions, he is now only seven matches shy of knocking another ex-colleague Leon Osman and the club’s record goalscorer Dixie Dean out of the all-time top 10 with the pair tied on 433.
Asked if that prospect enters his thoughts when it comes to his future plans, Coleman said: “It’s not something that I’m looking towards. More so, it’s very proud and humbling to have Everton’s Premier League appearance record.
“Let’s not forget there was a time before the Premier League as well and I’m a long way from the likes of Neville (Southall, 751 matches) and people like that. Listen, for the likes of myself, growing up in Killybegs, and this all being a dream, to hold the record of Premier League appearances is amazing, but I’m sure Jordan Pickford (currently 77 games or two-and-a-bit seasons behind him on 291) will be catching up that soon.”
With Everton facing Southampton on Sunday in what will be the men’s first team’s final fixture at Goodison Park after 133 years at the first-purpose built football ground in England that has also hosted the most top-flight matches, Coleman explains what makes ‘The Grand Old Lady’ so special.
He said: “I think the people, but obviously the people are going to be at the new stadium as well, which is important. If you just look around, it’s been home for the past 16 years, when I say I’ll miss everything, I’ll miss everything, whether it’s the drive in, the routines, everything that comes with it, the atmosphere, the noise when a goal goes in, an important goal.
“I say we’ll get that, I know we’ll get that because the fans are the fans and they’ll make noise wherever they go, so we will get that. I’m just glad we’re moving on as a Premier League club.”
The £60,000 signing from Sligo Rovers added: “It’s the people, it’s the history, it’s the nights that came before us, not just our time, more so the amazing nights that have been here with the goals that have been scored on that pitch, the tackles that have been made, the calibre of players that have been out there at different times and different generations as well. So many people have so many memories of coming here.
“I think it’s the whole thing. Scousers are a passionate bunch, it’s hard to explain what it’s like here on matchdays, it’s electric, it’s passion, it’s noisy, it’s angry, it’s a bit of everything.”
Although Coleman will miss Goodison Park, he believes the time is ripe for Evertonians to now look towards the prospect of a brighter future under The Friedkin Group at their new 52,888 capacity home on the Mersey waterfront. He said: “I’ve seen it. It’s really, really amazing and a lot of good work has gone into it.
“It’s going to be great for the city as well. Like I said, we’ll be bringing our supporters with us, so it’s going to be amazing, the noise, and everything that comes with it, it’s going to be electric.
“For all the history we’ve had here and the amazing times this football club has had, in the 1980s especially, those amazing teams, it’s time for the football club to look forward. There are new owners, new ambitions and you have to reach for the stars, else you’re just surviving.
“It’s an exciting time for the football club and we have to reach and hope for a better future now.”
The full set of Goodison Park: My Home episodes are available to watch on YouTube and are as follows
Kevin Ratcliffe
Derek Mountfield
Michael Ball
Dr David France
Graham Stuart
Derek Temple
Leon Osman
Alan Irvine
David Moyes
Anders Limpar
Kevin Sheedy
Ian Snodin
Tony Cottee
Alan Stubbs
Joe Royle
Martin Dobson
Peter Reid
Trevor Steven
Dave Watson
Seamus Coleman