Coleman to be rewarded with new contract
Irish international Coleman, who has been in scintillating form for the Toffees this season, was the recipient of lavish praise from his manager yesterday.
“I’m sure at the end of the season we will look at (his contract),” said Martinez. “His role in the team is growing, he is getting more important so we will always look at that. He is happy at Everton and has a long-term contract but I always said that players that do well and perform, it is my intention to sit down in the summer and reassess. That could be bad for everyone with big contracts as well!
“He deserves a reward. His goalscoring record — it’s not that he has been fortunate, he has put balls in the top corner. He has created at least two good opportunities in every game and has been getting better in taking those chances.
“He is getting stronger in the build-up play, stronger in the positional play, and growing as a player. He is a young man but younger in football terms because he was such a late developer. The sky is the limit.”
John Aldridge also added to the plaudits for Coleman yesterday saying he “is up there in the running for the best right-back of the Premier League this year. He is great going forward.”
Former Ireland striker Aldridge also had some advice for the country’s all-time record goal-scorer, saying that Robbie Keane should “keep on playing for Ireland as long as he feels up to it and is playing to a reasonably high level for his club. We need him, it’s as simple as that. Whether he’s leading the line, or dropping off, we need him.”
However, Aldo also expressed some concern about the skipper’s longevity.
“I’d be a bit wary for Robbie,” he said. “I didn’t start till I was 21, where he was 16/17, and that can take your legs away. Starting later helped me have a longish span. We need Robbie as we need a goal-scorer.”
And on the back of what appears to have been another false move for Shane Long — with Hull City denying media reports that they’d done a deal to bring the striker from West Brom — Aldridge suggested it was important the Tipperary man gets some certainty about his immediate future.
“I think it will help him, and Ireland, if he is settled at a club,” he said.
“Saying that, when you come over to play for Ireland, your club situation doesn’t matter, as you want to come in and work your socks off. Shane is not a prolific goalscorer but he has a good partnership with Robbie and we need both of them to be settled and playing well for their clubs.”
Hull City yesterday denied that they had agreed a fee for the West Brom striker while Long’s wife, Kayleah — who is expecting their second child — also indicated in a tweet that her husband was staying at the Hawthorns. “Not going anywhere!” she said. “Told Shane happy here & with baby on way it not worth the stress when still in contract! He agreed #happydays.”
Long, much admired by Hull boss Steve Bruce, appeared to be on the verge of signing for the Tigers on transfer deadline day in September but, having travelled to the club’s training ground from the Irish camp in Dublin to discuss terms, he saw the deal fell through at the eleventh hour when West Brom were unable to get Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku on loan.
Meanwhile, Aldridge, who will be the guest speaker at tonight’s Airtricity/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland annual awards ceremony in Dublin, said he thinks Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane will be “brilliant” for Ireland.
‘‘When Roy was playing for Ireland, he was exceptional,” said the former Liverpool man.
“No indication then he was going to be a manager. He did a great job at Sunderland and his experience will stand to him working alongside Martin. He will be brilliant in the dressing-room. He’s learnt from his mistakes, and you can see that from the way he handles himself on ITV, and what he says.
“Roy will always have that edge about him — he can’t lose what is part of him — but I think his partnership with Martin will be brilliant for Ireland.”
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