Seamus Coleman makes comeback for Everton Under-21s v Manchester United after injury lay-off
Seamus Coleman returned to the pitch after five months out injured as Everton Under-21s met Manchester United Under-21s.
As per the official Everton website (4 October), the defender played the opening 45 minutes of the Premier League 2 clash.
Leigh Sports Village played host to the match, with the Red Devils defeating the Toffees 3-1, with Coleman starting before being replaced by Roman Dixon for the start of the second half.
“Seamus Coleman made a welcome return to competitive football after five months out injured in Everton Under-21s’ 3-1 Premier League 2 loss at Manchester United on Saturday afternoon,” according to the official Everton website.
“The Blues’ Club captain played the opening 45 minutes at Leigh Sports Village as he works his way towards full fitness following the medial knee ligament injury he sustained in the 2-2 draw at Leicester City in May.”
Huge boost
Everton have really missed their skipper during his lengthy injury lay-off, both on and off the pitch. Leaders have been hard to find at Goodison Park in recent times, with too many players simply breezing through life on Merseyside.
Their poor displays have resulted in worrying Premier League relegation battles for the last few seasons, with the Toffees once again in the thick of it this time around.
Young defender Nathan Patterson has done well to fill the void left by Coleman at right-back, but manager Sean Dyche will undoubtedly be keen to get the veteran back as soon as possible.
And Coleman’s 45 minutes for Everton Under-21s is a huge boost for the player and the manager, with a first-team comeback definitely coming soon.
The Toffees are finally starting to pick up some momentum, helped massively by the return to fitness of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
But Coleman can have a similar impact at the other end of the pitch, with his experience and leadership set to be crucial for the months ahead.
In other Everton news, a BBC pundit was recently wowed by one Toffees “leader” who is “underrated” in the Premier League.