David Moyes to be delighted with Seamus Coleman development away from Everton
Seamus Coleman hasn’t been able to give it his all at Everton in recent years due to several fitness issues.
David Moyes has relied on Jake O’Brien as his left-back at the Toffees since taking over from Sean Dyche, and the Irish defender has been a key part of the starting lineup in recent months.
Coleman signed a one-year contract extension to stay at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the 2025-26 season, making four appearances for the Blues in the current campaign.
With the veteran right-back fit to contribute at the Merseyside outfit, his display against Portugal for the Republic of Ireland in the World Cup qualifiers on 11 October will be encouraging.
Everton captain Seamus Coleman shines in Portugal vs Republic of Ireland
Coleman was in the starting lineup as the Republic of Ireland lost 1-0 to Portugal after a goal from Ruben Neves in the final minutes of the fixture.
The 37-year-old was on the pitch for 86 minutes before being substituted for John Egan, with the veteran defender putting in a brilliant performance.
Irish outlet Balls termed the right-back’s display as “immense, with the Toffees’ captain shining in both halves.
Unfortunately, the Republic of Ireland were beaten after Neves scored in the 91st minute, breaking the hearts of travelling fans in the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
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In Coleman’s 86 minutes on the pitch, he had a passing accuracy of 75 per cent, one successful dribble, won one of the tackles, made one interception, made three clearances and won two of his four ground duels, as per Sofascore.
Moyes could arguably do with an upgrade on O’Brien, but for now, he will be delighted with the fact that the captain is returning to his best in L4.
Republic of Ireland to face World Cup heartbreak
While Jack Grealish’s World Cup chances look slim after being snubbed by Thomas Tuchel, Coleman and O’Brien could potentially also miss out on the competition being played in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Republic of Ireland are last in their World Cup qualifiers group, with one point from three games so far.
| Position | Matches played | Points |
| 1. Portugal | 3 | 9 |
| 2. Hungary | 3 | 4 |
| 3. Armenia | 3 | 3 |
| 4. Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1 |
Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team will have to beat Armenia on 14 October and hope Hungary lose to Portugal to have a chance at claiming a play-off spot to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
It remains to be seen whether the international break will end up being a disappointment for Coleman, but him still being able to compete at the highest level should be a positive for Moyes at Everton.
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