Roy Keane: ‘Steady’ Seamus Coleman reminds me of full-back legend Denis Irwin

By his own admission, Roy Keane doesn’t lightly throw the name Denis Irwin into any football conversation, so it tells you something about the high regard in which Seamus Coleman is held within the Irish camp that the assistant manager yesterday likened the Everton full-back to the former Ireland and Manchester United great.

It was Keane who brought Irwin into the discussion when I asked if he thought Coleman was increasingly emerging as a leader in the Irish team.

“Yeah I think so,” he concurred. “Obviously, it’s been documented that he enjoyed the captaincy in the Euros. I’d always judge Seamus as a really good lad around the hotel but we want our players to play well and Seamus has matured in the way he plays.