Captain Coleman cuts through noise with sharp words and sharper insights

Ireland skipper is relieved that Everton's season finished in survival but wonders why they put themselves at risk at all

Eyes always on the ball: Seamus Coleman and Andrew Morrissey, STATSports analyst, during a Republic of Ireland training session at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Without raising his voice or resorting to insults, Séamus Coleman’s words yesterday serrated targets with the sharpness of the army knife arsenal on sale at market stalls outside Armenia’s Republican Stadium.

Ireland’s captain has endured a “stressful” season skippering Everton, their Premier League survival only salvaged in the final weeks of the latest season of Goodison Park upheaval.