'We have to believe the future is bright for Everton'

When Seamus Coleman returns to Sligo Rovers' Showgrounds stadium connected Friday, nan Everton full-back will person travel afloat circle.

Having near for England successful 2009 arsenic a timid 20-year-old, Coleman heads backmost location 15 years later aft increasing into a leader of men.

Sean Dyche's broadside play their first pre-season friends against nan League of Ireland nine pursuing a five-day training campy conscionable extracurricular of Dublin.

"It is very special," says Coleman. "When I near Sligo Rovers to spell to Everton, I was a young, shy, reserved player, measurement retired of my depth.

"I americium going backmost arsenic nine captain, personification who has played complete 400 games for nan club.

"I americium not 1 to extremity and look astatine what I person done because if you do that you suffer nan thrust and hunger, but it has fixed maine a spot of clip to bespeak connected a crazy journey.

"I conscionable worked difficult for nan shot nine and gave it my all. It's not for illustration I've been nan astir talented subordinate to put an Everton jersey on.

"I respected my managers, respected nan Everton badge and successful return I deliberation Evertonians respect that."

Coleman has go an Everton mainstay, amassing 422 appearances successful each competitions and has nan honour of being nan club's longest-serving Premier League player, featuring 364 times successful nan apical flight.

He costs nan Toffees £60,000 - a interest that useful retired astatine £142 a game.

Despite nan churn of players and managers during his clip astatine nan club, serving 11 different bosses, Coleman remains – astatine nan property of 35 – nan first-choice prime astatine right-back erstwhile fit.

The squad has battled against relegation successful caller seasons, a play which Coleman describes arsenic being "tough for everyone".

"It is simply a typical nine afloat of hardworking and honorable group for illustration nan fans," he says. "There are times erstwhile it is reliable and they show you nan location truths but don't we each request that sometimes?

“I deliberation I person been very fortunate that I didn't time off nan metropolis and I americium very grateful that I didn't.

"It wasn't until we had nan past 2 aliases 3 years that I did afloat realise and understand really monolithic this shot nine is to nan people.

"I cognize it sounds utmost but nan group I person seen and talked to, they unrecorded for Everton. That is what gets them retired of furniture connected a morning."

Coleman signed a one-year statement extension past period and said location has ne'er been a clip erstwhile he wanted to time off nan club. After breaking his limb successful 2017, nan connection of a caller five-year woody remained connected nan array without immoderate changes.

This will beryllium Everton’s last play astatine their Goodison Park location earlier moving to Bramley-Moore Dock for nan commencement of nan 2025-26 campaign.

Coleman says: "This nine is monolithic and it's conscionable waiting for things to click into place. It has to beryllium correct disconnected nan transportation excessively arsenic good arsenic connected it, but nan gaffer has been steady, coagulated and calm.

"I'm getting a spot older but I want to consciousness that I’ve played a portion successful weathering nan large wind and Everton kicking connected to nan caller stadium and being a elephantine of nan nine again."

New owners are besides connected nan horizon, pinch nan Friedkin Group agreeing to bargain nan nine from Farhad Moshiri and Coleman is hoping it tin kick-start a play of success.

"I was fortunate capable to play successful immoderate European nights nether Roberto [Martinez]," he says. "We went to Kiev and we mislaid a crippled we astir apt should not person lost.

"But you don't realise really fortunate you person it until it is gone and you are watching nan West Hams successful Europe and thinking: 'Oh, that was us. Were we taking that for granted?' Yeah, we astir apt did.

"So we request to make judge that erstwhile we get these times backmost - and I afloat judge we will - and if we get things tally decently past nan shot nine is excessively large not to beryllium successful again.

"We person each had a reliable clip being Evertonians, but we person sewage to judge that nan future's bright. We person to."