Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has said Seamus Colman is improving physically and mentally as he prepares to meet up with squad ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Austria on 11 June.
O’Neill has been keeping in contact with the Everton man despite him facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines and said it will be a huge lift to the Ireland players for the captain to be part of the build-up.
O’Neill told RTÉ 2FM’s The Nicky Byrne Show: "Seamus is very, very upbeat now. Obviously the couple of days after the injury were really traumatic.
"[Seamus would question himself] about all sorts of things. Why did it happen to him and all the things you go through.
"I went to see him a couple of weeks ago when he was still in Donegal. He was really, really upbeat.
"He has really good people around him, obviously family, very, very strong and Seamus of all people, even though you wouldn't know because off the field he is pretty shy and a really nice lad, but he's got a real steely determination. I don't think he would have got into a position of one of the best full-backs in Europe if he hadn't that steely determination. That'll carry him through."
The Ireland boss spoke to the ex-Sligo Rovers defender earlier this week to conclude arrangements to join up with the players.
O’Neill said Coleman is excited at the prospect of offering his assistance.
"I was speaking to him just a few days ago," he revealed.
"He is really up for it, he is ready and he is going to come over and join us for a few days for the Austria game, which would be a massive lift for the players.
"He is very strong mentally and I think things are going well physically for him as well"
"He is a top-class captain. It's a different character [when he assumes the captain role]. You talk to him around the hotel for a couple of days, he’s self-effacing. Then he goes into the dressing-room and he's a different character completely.
"He is coming to terms with the injury, which is the most important thing. He is very strong mentally and I think things are going well physically for him as well, so that's great news."
One other issue Coleman has to occasionally deal with is disagreements between his club manager Ronald Koeman and international management team.
But with experience gained over the years, O’Neill believes he manages to deal with it when it crops up.
"I think Seamus can divide the two up. Obviously, his bread and butter as they say, is club football. That's where he earns his living.
"But Seamus has obviously got great pride wearing the shirt for Ireland. When he is over in Ireland I think he has total concentration on that and when he goes back there, it's club football.
"I think he feels ‘let the two of them argue and I'll just stay out of it’," O’Neill quipped.
O’Neill has assembled over a dozen players for a training camp in Fota Island, mostly of Championship players who had their league season conclude earlier than the Premier League contingent.
"I just felt by the time they finished the season and the time the US trip has come around, I thought it was too long and the players agreed.
"There are 15,16, 17 players that have come in. We have just done about two or three days training. Psychologically, it keeps them right and physically I think they said they needed that. The rest of the gang, the Premier League players that we still have available to us, well they only finished there last week. So I've given them a little time off and they will join us at the end of the month."
The Austria game is over two weeks away but it is the focus of a lengthy meet-up for the Boys in Green.
O’Neill knows the significance of the game and what bearing it will have on the group.
"It's a massive game. Austria might be a little disappointed with the way things have gone. If we could win the game, then it opens up a big gap.
"Austria feel they have to win and I was speaking to a couple of the lads at Stoke City and they have an Austrian player with them that is suspended for the game and he says they don't feel out of the competition at all. They are coming to Dublin to win."
