The making of the £60K bargain who became an Everton legend

Coleman to end 17-year Everton playing career

School and football – that was life

Killybegs is a small fishing town in County Donegal nestled along the picturesque, rural Irish coastline – dubbed Wild Atlantic Way – with a population of about 1,250 people.

It’s also where a young Seamus Coleman developed his skills on the streets of his estate.

Brian Dorrian, who would help shape Coleman’s football journey, says it is a place where “everyone knows everybody”.

“Early life for a lot of the young lads, including Seamus, would have been school and football. They played everywhere.”

Killybegs was dominated by two sports – football, or soccer as it’s often known in the north west, and Gaelic football, which is Ireland’s traditional national sport.

Coleman, like the majority of youngsters, played both. There were transferable skills, with youngsters learning the sports in robust fashion, with matches taking place between various estates in the town.

“You didn’t get beat in those, it was like going to war with your neighbours,” Dorrian added.

“That is where he learned his traits. Playing against older players, getting kicked. It built hunger and the drive to do well.”

Coleman started playing football for St Catherine’s, just around the corner from home, and Dorrian, who was the club’s first-team manager, remembers he was “small, tenacious and had a big heart”.

His size counted against him, and led to him being left out of county and school squads. But his determination was something else.

“At an early age, he had potential but he hadn’t any more than any of the rest of them,” Dorrian added.

“But he had that bit about him. Not the technical side so much, but the mentality and that was bred from where he is from.

“You don’t want to get beaten by anyone. If it’s instilled in you from a young age, with a bit of respect and a bit of manners, it helps guide you through your career – whatever path it takes you.”

Was it fate?

To make it in any professional sport, a slice of luck – in addition to work ethic and natural ability – is often required.

Coleman was no different, and there were three key cards that fell his way.

By pure chance, in early 2006 Sligo Rovers manager Sean Connor was dating a Killybegs native and, after a discussion over a beer, a friendly was arranged with St Catherine’s.

Coleman was up against experienced and prolific forwards Paul McTiernan and Sean Flannery, but neither got a sniff against the raw but energetic youngster.

Connor had seen enough. He called Dorrian, Coleman, his father and the St Catherine’s chairman into the referee’s changing room and a deal was agreed to bring the young defender to the club for their top-flight return.

Coleman had also been called into Donegal’s minor team, a massive honour for any underage Gaelic footballer with hopes of making it big.

He had a decision to make – Dorrian mentioned “everyone was wanting a piece of him” and he was “under a lot of pressure” to select Gaelic football – which is an amateur sport.

“[But] once he heard full-time football and getting a few quid – not a whole lot – he jumped at the chance,” mentioned Dorrian.

Pro Evo and a second chance

When Coleman joined the full-time ranks in Sligo he was housed with fellow defenders Gavin Peers and Keith Foy.

Peers recalls his first impressions of Coleman were “quiet and shy” off the pitch, but “raw, determined and competitive” on it.

“The three of us were all around the same age and got on really well,” mentioned Peers, who added he “done most of the cooking”.

“Seamus went home quite a lot, his girlfriend, now wife, was in Donegal and he was a homebird – he still goes back home in his time off now.”

Football, on the pitch or on screen, was never far from his thoughts, however.

“But when he was here the evenings were all about Pro Evolution,” mentioned Peers.

“We were all competitive in that house, it got a bit tense in the games, but he wasn’t very good at it.

“That was the one thing I was able to beat him at, and he’s definitely better at the real thing.”

After settling in at Sligo, Coleman’s fortunes were about to change when Connor left to join Bohemians before the end of the season, and Rob McDonald was introduced in his place.

“Rob just didn’t take to him,” Dorrian mentioned. “He told him he was surplus to requirements.”

Then came the second stroke of luck. McDonald left his role in pre-season and former Wigan and Burnley midfielder Paul Cook was brought in as his replacement.

It was a match made in heaven.

“Paul seen he had that drive and determination and related to that,” mentioned Dorrian, who had joined the youth set-up at the Showgrounds.

“I heard Paul say it at the time, he could see him charging up and down the pitch, tackling, and if a player around him wasn’t on it, he was talking to them and trying to bring them with him.

“If Rob stayed then God knows what would have happened. It was that bit of luck when Paul came in and Seamus just propelled from there.”

The jambon that changed everything

It was a day of training and Coleman and Dorrian were making the trip from Killybegs to Sligo.

As they would often do, they stopped on the way for a break on the 95km journey.

Coleman ordered his usual bottle of water and a ham and cheese jambon. It was like any other day – until the phone rang.

It was Sligo’s chairman. A bid had been accepted by Everton.

“When the phone rang you thought it was a bit of a joke,” recalled Dorrian.

“I think he was just sitting there smiling – is this true? Is this going to happen?

“It was very surreal for me. I’m driving a car, sitting beside a young fella who was going to be going across to play for Everton.

“By the time we got down to the club everyone knew and was shaking his hand. It was a brilliant time for everyone.”

Coleman had been on trial at Celtic, and Birmingham City had shown interest, but it was Everton who made the first move with the now famous £60,000 fee.

Of course, it has turned into much more than that with various clauses but it is still a drop in the ocean compared to many modern transfers.

But how it came about was another case of being in the right place at the right time.

One of Cook’s signings was midfielder Sean Doherty, whose dad just happened to be head scout for David Moyes and Everton.

“Everything just seemed to fall the right way for him,” added Dorrian.

“He’s worked hard for it and the rest is history.”

Baptism of fire

Coleman moved to Everton in January 2009 and made his debut nine months later against Benfica in the Europa League, taking on the likes of Angel di Maria, Javier Saviola and Oscar Cardozo.

It was a baptism of fire in a 5-0 defeat, but the player Everton fans would come to love was on show again a few days later.

The teenager was introduced as a sub for his Premier League debut against Tottenham as Everton rescued a 2-2 draw.

After notching up his first assist, Coleman was named man of the match.

“I was sitting there thinking, ‘three years ago that young lad was playing for me’, and now I was watching him changing the game on ‘Super Sunday’ on the TV,” mentioned Dorrian.

“Back then, if you were to tell me where he is now – I would have mentioned no, and that’s with no disrespect to him. He’d tell you that himself, but it’s brilliant for him and a great story.”

Peers remains friends with Coleman and says he is still the same humble person from Donegal, just like when they met all those years ago.

“I like to have a bit of banter with him now and call him ‘Big Time’ and say ‘you’ve changed’.

“But the truth is he hasn’t changed. I don’t think his family or friends would let him – I wouldn’t anyway.”

A future in the dugout?

Jump forward 400-odd appearances, Coleman is now in the dying embers of his career but his place as an Everton legend is secure.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, and a leg break while playing for the Republic of Ireland, who he had captained at Euro 2016 the previous year, threatened his career.

But, like when he had been written off many times before, he bounced back again.

He was made Everton captain in 2019 and even though injuries have limited his appearances in recent years, including another serious lay-off in 2023, his impact remains as strong as ever.

Such is his standing at the club, Coleman, along with Leighton Baines, was called on to the sidelines in the club’s hour of need when Sean Dyche left the club before their FA Cup tie with Peterborough United in January 2025.

Coleman has been offered a coaching role at Everton, but is going to take his time over the summer before deciding his future.

Dorrian believes Coleman will “probably” end up as a coach, but feels his future lies in management.

“You can even see when he’s not playing with Everton or the Republic of Ireland, he galvanises everyone around him.

“That mentality comes from within, his family and where he’s from.”

Coleman’s story is one of resilience, and making the most of the opportunities that fall your way.

“When you’re 17 or 18 and playing in a first team in Killybegs, nobody would see you as a captain of Everton or Ireland,” mentioned Peers, who added he wouldn’t be surprised if he went back to playing Gaelic football when he retires.

“It’s a mad story but he deserves his success.”

A version of this article was first published in June 2025.