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BBC News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The making of the £60K bargain who became an Everton legend
"Sixty grand, sixty grand Seamus Coleman, playing the Everton way."It's a song that has echoed through the terraces at Goodison Park for 16 428 matches in blue, Seamus Coleman's famous £60,000 transfer fee from Sligo Rovers works out at about £140 a one of the biggest bargains in Premier League history, but it wasn't always a straightforward success story. The chant will move with Everton to the club's new Hill Dickinson Stadium after the left-back signed a fresh one-year deal to stay with the club for a 17th street football, proving people wrong and a ham and cheese jambon, this is how Coleman wrote his name into Everton folklore. School and football - that was life Killybegs is a small fishing town in County Donegal nestled along the picturesque, rural Irish coastline - dubbed Wild Atlantic Way - with a population of about 1,250 people. It's also where a young Seamus Coleman developed his skills on the streets of his Dorrian, who would help shape Coleman's football journey, says it is a place where "everyone knows everybody"."Early life for a lot of the young lads, including Seamus, would have been school and football. They played everywhere."Killybegs was dominated by two sports - football, or soccer as it's often known in the north west, and Gaelic football, which is Ireland's traditional national sport. Coleman, like the majority of youngsters, played both. There were transferable skills, with youngsters learning the sports in robust fashion, with matches taking place between various estates in the town. "You didn't get beat in those, it was like going to war with your neighbours," Dorrian added."That is where he learned his traits. Playing against older players, getting kicked. It built hunger and the drive to do well." Coleman started playing football for St Catherine's, just around the corner from home, and Dorrian, who was the club's first-team manager, remembers he was "small, tenacious and had a big heart".His size counted against him, and led to him being left out of county and school squads. But his determination was something else. "At an early age, he had potential but he hadn't any more than any of the rest of them," Dorrian added."But he had that bit about him. Not the technical side so much, but the mentality and that was bred from where he is from."You don't want to get beaten by anyone. If it's instilled in you from a young age, with a bit of respect and a bit of manners, it helps guide you through your career - whatever path it takes you." Was it fate? To make it in any professional sport, a slice of luck - in addition to work ethic and natural ability - is often was no different, and there were three key cards that fell his pure chance, in early 2006 Sligo Rovers manager Sean Connor was dating a Killybegs native and, after a discussion over a beer, a friendly was arranged with St Catherine' was up against experienced and prolific forwards Paul McTiernan and Sean Flannery, but neither got a sniff against the raw but energetic youngster. Connor had seen enough. He called Dorrian, Coleman, his father and the St Catherine's chairman into the referee's changing room and a deal was agreed to bring the young defender to the club for their top-flight return. Coleman had also been called into Donegal's minor team, a massive honour for any underage Gaelic footballer with hopes of making it had a decision to make - Dorrian said "everyone was wanting a piece of him" and he was "under a lot of pressure" to select Gaelic football - which is an amateur sport."[But] once he heard full-time football and getting a few quid - not a whole lot - he jumped at the chance," said Dorrian. Pro Evo and a second chance When Coleman joined the full-time ranks in Sligo he was housed with fellow defenders Gavin Peers and Keith Foy. Peers recalls his first impressions of Coleman were "quiet and shy" off the pitch, but "raw, determined and competitive" on it."The three of us were all around the same age and got on really well," said Peers, who added he "done most of the cooking"."Seamus went home quite a lot, his girlfriend, now wife, was in Donegal and he was a homebird - he still goes back home in his time off now."Football, on the pitch or on screen, was never far from his thoughts, however. "But when he was here the evenings were all about [video game] Pro Evolution," said Peers. "We were all competitive in that house, it got a bit tense in the games, but he wasn't very good at it."That was the one thing I was able to beat him at, and he's definitely better at the real thing." After settling in at Sligo, Coleman's fortunes were about to change when Connor left to join Bohemians before the end of the season, and Rob McDonald was introduced in his place."Rob just didn't take to him," Dorrian said. "He told him he was surplus to requirements." Then came the second stroke of luck. McDonald left his role in pre-season and former Wigan and Burnley midfielder Paul Cook was brought in as his was a match made in heaven. "Paul seen he had that drive and determination and related to that," said Dorrian, who had joined the youth set-up at the Showgrounds. "I heard Paul say it at the time, he could see him charging up and down the pitch, tackling, and if a player around him wasn't on it, he was talking to them and trying to bring them with him."If Rob stayed then God knows what would have happened. It was that bit of luck when Paul came in and Seamus just propelled from there." The jambon that changed everything It was a day of training and Coleman and Dorrian were making the trip from Killybegs to Sligo. As they would often do, they stopped on the way for a break on the 95km journey. Coleman ordered his usual bottle of water and a ham and cheese jambon. It was like any other day - until the phone rang. It was Sligo's chairman. A bid had been accepted by Everton. "When the phone rang you thought it was a bit of a joke," recalled Dorrian. "I think he was just sitting there smiling - is this true? Is this going to happen?"It was very surreal for me. I'm driving a car, sitting beside a young fella who was going to be going across to play for Everton. "By the time we got down to the club everyone knew and was shaking his hand. It was a brilliant time for everyone."Coleman had been on trial at Celtic, and Birmingham City had shown interest, but it was Everton who made the first move with the now famous £60,000 course, it has turned into much more than that with various clauses but it is still a drop in the ocean compared to many modern transfers. But how it came about was another case of being in the right place at the right of Cook's signings was midfielder Sean Doherty, whose dad just happened to be head scout for David Moyes and Everton."Everything just seemed to fall the right way for him," added Dorrian."He's worked hard for it and the rest is history." Baptism of fire Coleman moved to Everton in January 2009 and made his debut nine months later against Benfica in the Europa League, taking on the likes of Angel di Maria, Javier Saviola and Oscar was a baptism of fire in a 5-0 defeat, but the player Everton fans would come to love was on show again a few days teenager was introduced as a sub for his Premier League debut against Tottenham as Everton rescued a 2-2 notching up his first assist, Coleman was named man of the match."I was sitting there thinking, 'three years ago that young lad was playing for me', and now I was watching him changing the game on 'Super Sunday' on the TV," said Dorrian."Back then, if you were to tell me where he is now - I would have said no, and that's with no disrespect to him. He'd tell you that himself, but it's brilliant for him and a great story."Peers remains friends with Coleman and says he is still the same humble person from Donegal, just like when they met all those years ago."I like to have a bit of banter with him now and call him 'Big Time' and say 'you've changed'. "But the truth is he hasn't changed. I don't think his family or friends would let him - I wouldn't anyway." A future in the dugout? Jump forward 400-odd appearances, Coleman is now in the dying embers of his career but his place as an Everton legend is wasn't always smooth sailing, and a leg break while playing for the Republic of Ireland, who he had captained at Euro 2016 the previous year, threatened his like when he had been written off many times before, he bounced back again. He was made Everton captain in 2019 and even though injuries have limited his appearances in recent years, including another serious lay-off in 2023, his impact remains as strong as is his standing at the club, Coleman, along with Leighton Baines, was called on to the sidelines in the club's hour of need when Sean Dyche left the club before their FA Cup tie with Peterborough United in believes Coleman will "probably" end up as a coach but feels his future lies in management. "You can even see when he's not playing with Everton or the Republic of Ireland, he galvanises everyone around him. "That mentality comes from within, his family and where he's from."Coleman's story is one of resilience, and making the most of the opportunities that fall your way."When you're 17 or 18 and playing in a first team in Killybegs, nobody would see you as a captain of Everton or Ireland," said Peers, who added he wouldn't be surprised if he went back to playing Gaelic football when he retires."It's a mad story but he deserves his success."
The 42
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Everton confirm new one-year contract for Seamus Coleman
SEAMUS COLEMAN HAS signed a one-year contract extension at Everton. The new deal means he will captain David Moyes' side as they begin life after Goodison Park in the Hill Dickinson Stadium. It will be a 17th season with the Toffees for the 36-year-old and the Killybegs man is raring to go after a frustrating spell with injury last term. Advertisement 'I love Everton so to continue playing for this special club means everything to me and my family,' Coleman told Everton's club website. 'Like every one of our passionate fans, I've lived and breathed what has been a difficult past few years for the club and have put my heart and soul into doing all I can to help us get through it. 'Thanks to the hard work of many people, we've been able to get into our magnificent new stadium and pave the way for a brighter future under ambitious new owners, which I want to be part of. 'It's well known we will have a lot of new faces in this summer and I hope I can help them settle in as quickly as possible. And after a disappointing time with injuries last season, my focus will be on working hard, spending as much time on the pitch as possible, and helping Everton any way I can.' Coleman also described David Moyes as 'the perfect manager to lead us into a new era' and the Scot was equally effusive after his captain signed up for another season. 'Seamus is more than just a player at Everton. He offers so many different qualities,' Moyes said. 'His leadership, his professionalism and his humanity are second to none. He's helped carry the club through some difficult periods in the past few years and his influence in the dressing room has been key to that. 'He's had to deal with some really difficult injuries, too, but he has done that and still been able to help inspire inside the dressing room at the same time. 'This could be a period of real change at the club and I want somebody who can help deliver the messages of what it means to be an Everton footballer. Seamus has always done that and I know he will continue to do so as we move into a new era.'
