FAI player watch — Seamus Coleman

Seamus Coleman with Everton in 2012. Picture by EA Sports FIFA via Flickr

Donegal native Seamus Coleman has enjoyed a fine season to date for Everton, with his attacking forays into opposition territory adding an extra dimension to the Toffees’s play this season.

While the much-heralded Leighton Baines continues to dominate the left-flank with reckless abandon, Everton now have a player of somewhat the same ilk on the opposite wing. In both players, David Moyes’s side have arguably two of the finest wing-backs in the Premier League.

Coleman’s displays have not gone unnoticed either, with Giovanni Trapattoni deciding that Coleman’s consistently solid performances for his club have been good enough to install him as Ireland’s first-choice right-back.

Coleman started in Friday night’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden in Stockholm where he produced another confident performance in a green jersey. He dovetailed well with Jonathon Walters down the right, whilst also getting in behind enemy lines to whip in some inviting crosses.

For all of his attacking endeavours, Coleman did not forget his defensive duties and he was always on hand to help out the five-man Irish rearguard. Sweden’s talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic endured a quiet evening in front of goal as Coleman and co. delivered a sound defensive display, nullifying anything the Swedes offered in attack.

Austria come to the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night, March 26 in what will be a highly-anticipated game for both sides, with the opportunity of securing second spot in Group C up for grabs.

Coleman will almost certainly be selected on the back of such a solid performance, but he will be warned of the threat posed by Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba, whose dynamic play and attacking guile will need to be stifled.

On the domestic front, Coleman will continue to help Everton in the Premier League as they begin to launch an assault on the coveted fourth place, with the allure of Champions League football sure to inspire the players for their remaining nine games.