Everton vs Crystal Palace: Toffees' young guns leave Seamus Coleman feeling his age

Roberto Martinez’s team are ideal blend of youth and experience

Seamus Coleman is regarded as an ‘old hand’ in Everton’s young side (Getty Images)

Seamus Coleman is due to become a father in January but that is not the reason for the sudden sense that age is creeping up on him. Rather it is the fact the 27-year-old right-back, almost out of the blue, finds himself as one of the senior figures in an exciting young Everton side.

During last Tuesday’s Capital One Cup quarter-final win at Middlesbrough, Coleman was the third-oldest player in the starting line-up on an evening when the ‘Fab Four’ of John Stones, Romelu Lukaku, Gerard Deulofeu and Ross Barkley – all 22 or under – stole the headlines.

Two days later, sitting in his kit at The Toffees’ Finch Farm training ground, Coleman was happy to continue the discussion. “The manager made a big statement in the summer with John [Stones not joining Chelsea], meaning that he didn’t want to get rid of his best players. The four young lads are up there with the best young talents in Europe. I’m sure if there was a top 10, they’ would all be there or thereabouts.”

It was almost enough to inspire a bout of reverie from Coleman as he speculated about what might happen “if we keep them together with our experienced lads. I’ve been here coming up seven years now and the years are flying by, and you do want to win silverware and that would be special to do it here.”

The years have certainly flown by since this very day in 2009 when Coleman made his first Goodison appearance – as a substitute in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham. His debut proper had been a nightmare – trying to mark Angel Di Maria in a 5-0 Europa League defeat at Benfica – but against Spurs he shone with his raw energy down the right, crossing for both Everton goals. “My debut against Benfica wasn’t the best and I just wanted to do as well as I could and I kept getting up and down the line,” he recalled. “It was one of those things, it felt as though it was meant to happen and it gave me a kick-start in England.”

There was something wonderfully unaffected about Coleman’s football, a legacy of his teenage years playing Gaelic football in the Donegal fishing town of Killybegs. He remains that way as a person – shaking the hand of every journalist at the start and finish of our interview – but on the pitch, with Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines absent, he has suddenly become the old man of Everton’s defence.

“Over the years I was one of the young players but it has just crept up on me, with the injuries to Baines and Jags, being the older player. I’ve taken it on me to speak a bit to the younger lads and have a word in their ear but they’re all quite mature for their age.” None more so than Stones. “He is not bad, is he?” he smiled. “He doesn’t need a lot of talking, he is very mature. Football is the easy part for him. He is a really talented player and is learning all the time and, as good as he is, he still doesn’t think he’s anything special.”

If Stones was the name on people’s lips at the start of the season, when Everton host Crystal Palace tomorrow it will be that of Deulofeu. During a difficult second campaign at Goodison for Martinez, Everton were often accused of overpassing in midfield, yet Deulofeu – back on a permanent deal after his 2013/14 loan – has brought speed and directness to their attacking play. Lukaku, looking a better all-round centre-forward, has been the main beneficiary – his 13th goal of the season at Boro came after Deulofeu had befuddled a defender with six stepovers before crossing. “I remember when Cristiano Ronaldo broke on the scene, that’s the kind of stuff he was doing. I was asking Rom earlier how many goals he [Deulofeu] has set up for him and Rom said seven. Geri has come back more of a team player.” Having Deulofeu ahead of him means Coleman must rein in his swashbuckling instincts. “It’s hard to overlap Geri, I’ll tell you,” he laughed. “I feel the way Geri is playing at the minute it is best to leave him be out wide because he is producing the goods.”

If Everton are benefiting from the blossoming of their youngsters, and the absence of Europa League commitments, Coleman cites another factor: the enduring class of 34-year-old Gareth Barry. “I don’t know if the fans and the media see it but when you’re on the pitch and you’ve got someone like Gaz Barry in your team, you know you’re doing something right. You can see why he has played at such a high level because he always wants the ball. There have been times when you’re not having a good game and you might not want that ball, but no matter how he is playing, he always wants it.”

With Everton through to a Capital One Cup semi-final against Manchester City, hopes of a trophy have been raised. Coleman notes that “this team might be a bit better” than the side that finished fifth in 2014, although it is worth noting that the highest-placed team they have beaten to date are Southampton. “We haven’t done anything yet,” he adds, “but we definitely have great players capable of doing something.”

However Everton’s campaign ends, Coleman has already achieved one goal – with the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifying play-off win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. “It was such a great feeling. I missed out on the last European Championships [through injury] so I’ll be looking forward to the draw [next Saturday] and whoever we get, it will be great.” Even England? “I’d take England, yeah.”

And the boy from Killybegs will not be lacking support in France. “A massive contingent went to the last European Championships so I’ll be disappointed if they don’t go to this one. I played football with all the lads growing up and we’re all still very close. I’m sure they’ll be getting their camper vans ready.” On the march, just like Everton.