Seamus Coleman to have 'hybrid' role in latest Ireland squad

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson delivered the news when unveiling his 24-man squad for the games away to Austria and at home to Kosovo.

Seamus Coleman. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Seamus Coleman will join the Republic of Ireland squad in a “hybrid” role this month, and he may even be needed for one of the team’s two remaining Nations League games.

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson delivered the news when unveiling his 24-man squad for the remaining League B, Group G games away to Austria and at home to Kosovo on the 14th and 17th.

“Seamus Coleman will be in some kind of a hybrid role this camp,” he explained. “He is going to do the sessions with the players but he is going to be in a leadership role and a supporting role with us as coaches.

“Hopefully that will get him to start playing again and that is our goal, to get him to continue playing and he has expressed that he wants to do that.” 

Coleman has been without a club since ending his long association with Everton during the summer and he suggested recently, in an Overlap interview, that he was “edging” towards retirement while still maintaining his fitness.

The Donegal man continued to have a huge influence on the Irish team on and off the park during his latter days at Everton, and after Hallgrimsson reversed an initial decision not to call him up to a squad due to that lack of game time.

With that in mind, the Ireland boss was asked if we might yet see the 38-year old wear the green jersey in the coming weeks.

“First of all we need to see where he is at. We haven’t seen him in training for some period now so we need to see where he is at. We have five players on a yellow [card] so there might be suspensions for the second one, injuries etc.

“We have a 24-man squad so that’s why we take 24, because of the yellow cards. And, knock on wood, nobody gets injured [with their clubs] this weekend because everybody has a game to play.

“But obviously tempted, [given] how he played for us without playing much for Everton. It makes us believe he can always play for the national team and do good. But we have to wait and see.” 

Hallgrimsson also said that Josh Cullen, who is not part of the squad, felt it would better to continue his return to full fitness this month. Cullen was out for ten months with a knee injury and has only appeared twice off the bench on his return for Burnley.

Evan Ferguson and Jaden Umeh need “a little more time” according to the Icelander who is hoping that he will have more of these players available to him when the next international opens in March of 2027.