Seamus Coleman heaps praise on 'very special' Bill Kenwright after Everton announce death

Seamus Coleman has heaped praise on Bill Kenwright saying he had a way of making Everton players feel "so important" after his death at the age of 78 was announced by the Toffees.

Kenwright had been a part of Everton's board since 1989 and had been chairman of the Goodison Park club for the last 19 years, meaning that the entirety of club captain Coleman's career on Merseyside had been under the "very special" chairman.

Coleman has been sidelined with injury so far this season and is building up to a return to fitness, but alongside Sean Dyche, he paid tribute to Kenwright at Goodison Park and was quick to praise his impact on the Toffees squad.

Speaking to Sky Sports on Wednesday (25 October) he said: "He meant an awful lot. He was so important during my time here at Everton. He was just a good man who absolutely idolised Everton football club and he had a very special way of making all of us players feel very special and very important.

"Whether that be a big hug when he sees you or a text message after a game to numerous players he just had a special way about him. He'll be so, so missed by us all and we just want to remember him and all the good times.

"When we needed him and maybe when things weren't going so well and he had to show us how much this club meant to us he could do it in such an inspiring way.

"We've had a couple of meetings with him and it was never a case of him telling us what to do, it was just always a case of him expressing his love for the football club and what it means to the people of Everton. Like I said he made so many of us feel so important just by the little things he'd do for us.

"Even my own family, sending my wife flowers on special occasions. Those little touches are what made Everton special to me and Bill Kenwright was one of the driving factors behind that and he was always a friendly face."

Meant a lot

It's not often that you get a chairman in the modern era of football who cares so deeply about the football club he is in charge of and how Kenwright worked at Goodison Park was almost a throwback to a more hands-on approach.

You only have to take a glance at the sorts of tributes being paid to him not only by former or current players but also those from the wider footballing world to see just how highly thought of Kenwright was by everyone involved in the game.

It's unlikely that there will ever be somebody at the top of the football club as devoted to Everton as he was and he will clearly be missed by the players at Goodison Park.

It is a shame that the poor results on the pitch in recent years saw the relationship with some supporters turn sour as the Toffees struggled both off and on the field, but it is clear that all of that has been put aside to honour an incredibly fondly remembered man.

In other Everton news, Carlton Palmer believes that the Toffees should try and sign one Leeds star this January