Seamus Coleman made his 390th appearance for Everton in their win over Crystal Palace this weekend, at the age of 34. Seeing how pivotal the Irishman has been for the club over his 13 years at the club, could he be the pound-for-pound best signing in Premier League history?
Coleman moved to Merseyside in January of 2009, for a fee of £60,000 from Sligo Rovers after an impressive stint with the first team at the Irish side, playing 52 times and grabbing 1 goal, leaving for England at the age of 19 [via Transfermarkt].
He moved on loan to Blackpool where he played a vital role in helping his side gain promotion to the Premier League via the Championship playoffs, beating Cardiff City 3-2 at Wembley. Coleman was brought to the Tangerines initially on a one-month loan deal, as a short-term replacement for the injured Neal Eardley. But because of his performances in the Championship, his loan was extended until the end of the season.
The Irishman would break into the first-team at Everton when he returned from his loan deal, and would firstly be played on the right of midfield by David Moyes, ending the season with 4 goals and 3 assists, being nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award in his first Premier League season, an impressive feet.
He would also be offered a new four-and-a-half-year deal at Everton thanks to his impressive performances.
Coleman would make the right-back position his own and maintain it for the next 10 years. His most successful campaign would come during the 2013/14 season, where he would go on to score 6 goals and provide 2 assists, helping his side to a 5th-place finish in the League, leading to him being named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Despite breaking his leg on international duty with Ireland in 2017, he would quickly return back to the first-team setup after his recovery, quickly recovering the right-back position in the process, where underwhelming signing, Djibril Sidibe had previously been covering.
22 October 2009: Seamus Coleman makes his Everton debut.
— Everton (@Everton) October 22, 2022
22 October 2022: Seamus Coleman makes his 390th Everton appearance.
Our captain, still going strong – 13 years on. 💙 pic.twitter.com/HUenZDzGdw
With the injury to Nathan Patterson, Seamus has had to cover the position in recent weeks and has done a Stella job, despite turning 34 earlier this month. Although he might not have ever been recognised as one of the Premer League’s ‘All-Time Greats’ such as the likes of Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry, for the extremely minimal amount paid for him and the years of service he has given to the club, maintaining such a high level of performance in the process, he could definitely be seen as one of the greatest signings made during the Premier League Era.
Is Seamus Coleman the best signing in PL history?Yes
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