"I probably was done 100% at the end of the season, until I spoke with the Ireland manager." That's Séamus Coleman, 37, explaining why he hasn't retired yet — and why he turned down Championship football with Sheffield United to keep his options open.
The Donegal man left Everton this summer after 17 years and 433 appearances, a departure that felt like it might also be the end of his playing career entirely. Then Heimir Hallgrímsson got on the phone.
Ireland changed the equation
Coleman had previously been frozen out under the Icelander, but a recall brought him back into the fold in style — he started in wins over Portugal and Hungary that pushed Ireland to a World Cup play-off against Czechia, which ended in penalties. That run planted something.
Euro 2028 is still two years away. Coleman knows it. But Hallgrímsson has made clear he wants the veteran right-back to be part of that project, and it's the only reason Coleman is still lacing his boots at all. Without that conversation, he's gone. That's not speculation — he said it himself, twice.
So where does that leave his club future? Sheffield United came calling, Chris Wilder wanted him, and Coleman actually went down there to talk. He walked away.
"It just felt a bit soon after Everton," he said. "It all happened too soon." That's honest. After nearly two decades at Goodison, dropping into the Championship weeks later would be a jolt. He's in no rush to take the wrong move just to keep busy.
What comes next
Coleman has been back in Donegal, training with local GAA and soccer clubs to stay sharp while the transfer window ran its course. Now that it's closed, he says the picture may become clearer — and a decision is coming "very, very soon."
From a purely practical standpoint, his options will be limited. He made three appearances last season, the last of which ended after 10 minutes in November when he went off injured. Clubs at the top end won't gamble on that. But a smart free transfer at the right club — someone who values experience, who needs cover, who plays his kind of football — could still make sense for both parties.
The 81-cap international briefly managed Everton alongside Leighton Baines in January, when the pair took interim charge following Sean Dyche's sacking. He won his only game in the role, a 2-0 FA Cup win over Peterborough. Coaching is clearly in the future somewhere. But Coleman isn't ready to stop playing yet — and the reason is sitting in the Republic of Ireland dugout.
