Seamus Coleman's issues strong message to Ireland boss as Everton star craves return to tournament football

Seamus Coleman says the message to new Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson is clear - guide Ireland back to the world’s biggest tournaments by any means necessary.

It’s eight years since Ireland last played at a major competition and in two years’ time, when the next World Cup rolls around, it’ll be a full decade.

That’s as long a gap as at any point since Jack Charlton led the nation to Euro ‘88.

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Since then we’ve been at World Cups in 1990, 1994 and 2002, and two more Euros in 2012 and 2016.

Coleman doesn’t care if Hallgrímsson opts for route one, tiki-taka or somewhere in between.

The important thing, according to the Everton and Ireland legend, is that the country gets back to competing in the biggest competitions on the planet.

He has already spoken to the new manager. The pair had a brief conversation last Thursday morning, ahead of Hallgrímsson’s unveiling in front of the media.

“He's very excited to be in the job,” said the 35-year-old. “I think we're all glad that we've finally got a manager, whichever way it's come about, and we've got to back him now and support him.

“I know that's what the Irish people do, they will get right behind this manager and support him because another major tournament has gone past where we've all been sitting from our sitting rooms watching, or from pubs watching, wherever.

“There have been too many tournaments that have gone past us now.

“There is talk of styles of play and development, and I get all that for the future of Irish football, but the here and now is that you want to be at these tournaments, however way that is.

“If that's playing out from the back or whatever, kicking long, the nation needs to be at these tournaments and we need to find a way of getting there.”

The Icelander brought up the topic of playing style himself last week when he said he favoured a “back to basics” approach.

In that regard, he gets a thumbs up from the Ireland captain.

Seamus Coleman modelling the new Everton home kit for 2024/25
(Image: Everton FC)

“Listen, we have won games in the past not playing very well,” he said. “I know that ultimately to progress long-term, you want a style of play, you want a way of playing football.

“But selfishly as a player, you want to get to tournaments, so the best way possible to get to those tournaments, without maybe turning your back on trying to play attractive football.

“Of course that’s what we all want and that’s how you develop, but you have got to weigh it up in terms of, we can’t see more and more tournaments go past us.

“England got to the (Euro 2024) final and I don’t think they played lovely, attractive football, but they got to the final.

“Maybe it only got them so far, but we have to get the balance right between playing attractive football, but also playing to win games. For me, that’s where we need to get to.”

He added: “Whatever we do, we just need to back and support (the manager).

“It’s the people in the small towns across Ireland that you want to see filling the pubs and their houses, and sitting with Ireland flags outside their doors.

“I know we got it in 2016, the lads got it before me in 2012, and maybe we did take it for granted up until the last three or four (tournaments) that passed us.

“That’s where you want to be and whatever way we can get there would be best for me. Obviously we can’t just kick it and run, but it’s just finding that balance.

“We had it in 2016 and we were getting the videos in France of how well behaved the Irish fans were, but also with so much joy and emotion and craic. That’s what you want.

“I’m probably biased in this too, but I feel like football is the one that gets the country together the most when we are in a major tournament.

“I’m a player and I’ll do what I can in terms of on the pitch and around to make sure that we have lads who really want to get there.

“But ultimately it’s going to be on the manager now to help us get to that next stage.”

Coleman hopes to be a part of that journey. He turns 36 in October, but feels there are plenty of miles left in his legs.

“Whatever way this manager wants to go about things he will have my support, whether that's with me or without me that's entirely up to him,” he said.

Does he take any inspiration from Portugal star Pepe appearing at the recent Euros at the age of 41?“I don’t know if you can compare the likes of me and Pepe. He was incredible to watch, You can just see that fire in the belly burning strong,” said Coleman.

“There was one clip in particular where someone passed him and it looked like they done him completely down the side.

“The commentators would be the first to say his legs were gone but he kept battling, got back in position and knocked it out for a corner and celebrated.

“I've been there in a way and can understand the feeling he had.

“To be 41, he’s had an unbelievable career.

“Listen, lads are going longer now lads are fitter now, if there is someone, please God the likes of Festy (Ebosele) and others can kick on and you'll happily move aside when the time is right.

“At the minute I still feel good enough against some of the best wingers when I play against them. It’s one camp at a time, one week at a time at the minute.”

Coleman added: “I don’t know the ins and outs of the exact remit he’s been given by the FAI but I want him to get us to tournaments.

“Not just for me because my time is running out, just for the country.

“We have missed out on too many of them so hopefully these young lads coming through now will get to experience what some of us have experienced in the past, major tournaments.

“In terms of rankings, please god he can lift us up, but it’s tournaments for me that we want to get to.”

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