Seamus Coleman has admitted Jake O’Brien’s biggest quality is something Everton fans may not even consider.
Coleman’s days of contributing on the pitch at Everton may be behind him, but he has watched his compatriot, O’Brien, make a splash on Merseyside.
Amid the international break, Coleman has hailed James Tarkowski’s leadership qualities in the centre of defence.
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David Moyes quote on Seamus Coleman's Everton future.
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Having played most of the season at right-back, Coleman has now waxed lyrical about O’Brien’s strength of always being available for David Moyes.
Republic of Ireland Men's Media Conference and Training Session
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Seamus Coleman hails Jake O’Brien’s biggest Everton strength
Jake O’Brien dominated Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho at the weekend; so much so that the Toffees mocked the matchup through their social media accounts.
The 24-year-old has played most of the season out of position, but Coleman has been so impressed by his ability to remain fit.
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Seamus Coleman's Everton stats as he enters the final months of his contract.
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“Jake has been brilliant. He’s first and foremost a great lad but he is available all the time, he plays every minute of every game,” he said in Wednesday’s Ireland press conference.
“He plays right-back and a few spells at centre-back for the club as well and he has been fantastic. He has been great in the green shirt as well. I’m really happy for him and his family because he is a lovely lad.”
The only instance where O’Brien was not available this season was when he was sent off against Bournemouth.
Otherwise, O’Brien has played 30 times in the Premier League this season, having started 28 of those games.
Tarkowski has hailed O’Brien as a ‘freak athlete’ due to the speed he possesses as a 6ft 6″ defender.
Although he is not a natural full-back, O’Brien has been able to keep out Nathan Patterson from the starting XI all season long.
O’Brien is keen to return to centre-back, but his versatility is something that will only have benefited his game through exposure to regular Premier League minutes.
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