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Séamus Coleman: Younger crop can give Ireland added consistency

Updated / Thursday, 18 Aug 2022 08:51
Nathan Collins and Festy Obosele have become squad regulars over the past 12 months
Nathan Collins and Festy Obosele have become squad regulars over the past 12 months

In just over five weeks the Republic of Ireland will finish off their Nations League campaign with games away to Scotland and at home to Armenia.

After consecutive losses to the Armenians and Ukraine, Stephen Kenny's side picked things up with an impressive win against the Scots at the Aviva, and then were just as good when holding Ukraine to a draw in the Polish city of Łódź.

A case then of Kenny's side mixing the good with the not so good, a fair summation of how the side have performed under the stewardship of the Dubliner. An assessment that was shared by Séamus Coleman when he spoke to the media at the launch of SPAR's Better Choices campaign.

"It has been up and down at times but when it clicks we've been very good. Going forward we've got to be better in certain games, though there have been games where we've looked very good," said the Everton defender.

A question of more consistency then. It's what many teams are trying to find.

Coleman at the launch of SPAR's Better Choices campaign

Coleman featured in just the opening match of the Nations League - that surprise 1-0 loss in Yerevan - he subsequently had surgery on a hernia problem. He is fit again and was on the bench for the Toffees in last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa.

His hope that he will at least feature in the home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday and subsequently be named in Kenny's squad for the upcoming September assignments.

The Killybegs native, who will be 34 in October, highlighted "the great mix of senior players and young players" that Kenny now has to work with.

"All the lads that come into the squad for the first time are always made very welcome by the senior lads.

"Slowly and surely, lads will soon have 10, 15, 25 caps under their belt. Over the last 12-18 months, people like Josh Cullen have stood out massively and played really well for Ireland. Little things like that are massive positives for us."

Coleman also singled out Nathan Collins and Michael Obafemi as players who can make Ireland more consistent in the coming years.

On the Wolves defender, he said: "I don't think the highest of praise would put pressure on him, he's really, really humble, focused, hard working.

"That for me is a great base for any player and on top of that he's an excellent footballer. He's developed very quickly. With Ireland he's quite assured, plays out from the back, and is athletic. Wolves have got themselves a very good player. Please God for the next ten or 12 years he'll be playing at the highest level. I can't see why not, even though you don't want to be putting too much pressure on him.

"Great lad, great work ethic, very humble."

Referring to Obafemi, who netted for Swansea against Millwall on Tuesday, he added: "Getting the games in the summer and getting that goal (against Scotland) was massive for him personally. He came into the squad a few years ago, he was young.

"There is so much to be said for going out and getting games, playing competitively, week in, week out, at Championship level. You can't beat minutes in the tank and I think your seeing the benefits of that now with Michael. He's got so many good attributes, really nice lad, and I think he can kick on.

"He scored again (against Millwall). Fingers crossed he can keep finding the back of the net."

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