Seamus Coleman says retirement is edging closer but leaves playing future open
The former Everton defender remains without a club and says time away from football has made him more content with family life.
Seamus Coleman said on Tuesday, 27 October, that he is edging towards retirement, according to BBC Sport, but the former Everton defender has not formally ended his playing career. His comments leave open whether he will return to club football or play again for the Republic of Ireland.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate with Jamie Carragher, Coleman said he had kept fit but did not want to ‘completely draw a line in the sand’. RTÉ also reported that he stopped short of announcing his retirement. The remarks are his clearest indication yet that he may stop playing after months without a club.
Why Coleman is weighing retirement
Coleman left Everton at the end of last season after 17 years at the club and has remained unattached, BBC Sport reported. He has not played since a Republic of Ireland friendly in Canada in June. He had been training individually, a routine he described as difficult mentally and physically without a club or regular work with a ball.
Coleman said he had hoped to carry on playing, but time with his family had made him more content with his present situation. He described what comes next as ‘an open book’ and said he was trying punditry while seeing whether he enjoyed it, according to the two reports. His comments indicate a change in outlook, rather than a completed decision.
What his decision could mean for Ireland
After leaving Everton, Coleman was offered a coaching position there but wanted to continue playing, RTÉ reported. He had hoped to add to his 81 Republic of Ireland appearances and remain available through Euro 2028, which Ireland will co-host, according to BBC Sport. Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson had encouraged him to continue with that campaign in mind, RTÉ reported.
Coleman was left out of the recent Ireland squad. BBC Sport reported that Hallgrímsson had previously said the defender intended to keep playing and that he hoped to include him in future camps. RTÉ reported that the manager has since said he would offer Coleman a role coaching the national team if he retires.
His recent absence follows a return to Ireland's starting side during the previous qualifying campaign. RTÉ reported that he started wins over Portugal and Hungary in November last year and played more than 90 minutes in the penalty shootout defeat by Czechia in March. Coleman did not announce his retirement after that match and initially indicated he would continue.
For now, Coleman's own words leave both possibilities open. He has been keeping fit while spending more time with his family, and has given no retirement date or commitment to return to a club.
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Sources and context
- Seamus Coleman: Former Everton defender 'edging towards' retirementBBC Sport (Andy Gray, BBC Sport NI Journalist)
- Coleman admits he's 'edging towards' retirementRTÉ Sport
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