The £60,000 deal that saw Seamus Coleman move to Everton from Sligo Rovers in 2009 has been one of the club's greatest pieces of business.
The 34-year-old has gone to clock up 401 appearances in Royal Blue, scored 28 goals and has been championed by manager after manager - even earning Frank Lampard's praise as one of the best people he had ever met. And Coleman was an inspiration once again on Saturday as his stunning goal earned Everton a vital win over Leeds United.
It was the club captain's 22nd goal in the Premier League and maintained the remarkable record that accompanies his strikes - every time he has scored in the league, Everton have failed to lose. Following his latest effort, one of his most sublime to date, the ECHO looks back at his haul of league goals and what they meant at the time.
1) Blackpool 2-2 Everton
Coleman's first Premier League goal came over a year on from his initial signing for Everton against the team he had helped get promoted the season before following a successful loan spell to cover for the injured Neal Eardley. With the Blues trailing 2-1 in the 50th minute, John Heitinga played a high ball from the left to Coleman, who had made a run down the right flank. He then managed to get the better of Stephen Crainey, who had challenged him in the air, giving the right-back space to run into before slotting past the Blackpool goalkeeper and equalising for the Blues. The goal meant that Everton would extend their unbeaten run to six games.
2) West Ham United 1-1 Everton
Coleman would have to wait two and a half months before his next goal, which he managed to net on December 28 during a draw at Upton Park. Everton were trailing 1-0 thanks to an own goal from Tony Hibbert when Coleman managed to turn in a back-post cross from Tim Cahill.
3) Everton 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Coleman would finally get the chance to score in front of the Goodison Park faithful when Everton hosted Tottenham Hotspur nine days on from his last goal. The Blues took a 1-0 lead before Spurs equalised through Dutchman Rafael Van Der Vaart. Coleman then headed in the winner after a short from Louis Saha was parried into his path.
4) Everton 2-1 Fulham
This was another header as Coleman converted a Leon Osman cross to open the scoring. It was his final goal during his first season as a regular starter for the Blues, a campaign in which they finished seventh with 54 points.
5) Norwich City 2-2 Everton
It would then be more than two years before Coleman would net again, kickstarting his most clinical campaign in a 2-2 draw with Norwich. In Roberto Martinez's first competitive game as Everton manager the Blues came from behind to lead - Coleman grabbing the second - but were unable to cling on for three points.
6) Everton 4-0 Stoke City
Coleman would then add to his tally during a 4-0 demolition of Stoke. With the Blues already leading 1-0, he made the most of a miss-controlled pass and slotted in at the far post. The goal left Everton level on points with Liverpool after 13 games as they attempted to maintain a charge to the Champions League places. This also left them only three points from Chelsea in second.
7) Everton 4-1 Fulham
Fulham would become the first team that Coleman would net against for a second time with a goal that re-established Everton's lead at Goodison Park. Dimitar Berbatov equalised from the spot in the 67th minute but Steven Pienaar then played a neat one-two with Romelu Lukaku before squaring the ball across the box for Coleman to finish. The goal continued Everton’s nine-game unbeaten streak and left them just four points from the top of the table after 16 games.
8) Swansea City 1-2 Everton
It wouldn’t be long before the Irishman would net again with his next goal coming just over a week later on the south coast of Wales. Perhaps his best in royal blue, Coleman opened the scoring with a strike from more than 20 yards out, wide on the right of the box, rifling the ball into the near post.
9) Everton 2-1 Southampton
The in-form full back would continue his impressive run with his third goal in just four games. Picking up the ball just over the halfway line, Coleman took on a young Luke Shaw before exploiting the open space in the 18-yard box with a far-post strike into the top corner, giving Everton the lead within 10 minutes. With the game finishing 2-1 and Liverpool losing to Chelsea, this goal was critical for the Blues in overtaking their rivals and pushing themselves into the Champions League places.
10) Everton 2-1 Cardiff City
It would be three months before he would net once again - though it was yet another important strike. Coleman's stoppage-time winner ensured the Blues would remain three points ahead of Manchester United as they chased Spurs with two games in hand.
11) Everton 2-2 Arsenal
Coleman would then continue his form in the following season with the opener in a game from which Everton should have earned more than a point. Opening the scoring, Coleman headed home a cross from Gareth Barry, giving the Toffees a much-needed goal as they looked to secure their first win of the season. The game would end a 2-2 draw following late goals from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey.
12) Everton 3-0 Aston Villa
Coleman would then top off an easy afternoon as Everton did the business at home against Aston Villa. Following a foul on Pienaar, Everton would take a quick free-kick with Leighton Baines picking up the ball on the left flank and fizzing it across the box to Coleman, who had used his run to get in front of his defender. This goal would be the first time that the two popular full=backs would come together to create a goal. The goal topped off a win that left Everton two points clear of the drop zone during a disappointing start to the 2014/15 season
13) Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Everton
Six months later the Coleman coincidence would strike again in the 18th minute of Everton’s trip to the capital. Osman found himself on the edge of the box and played in Coleman to his right with space and time to side foot the ball high into the top corner. This goal would be the opener in a game Everton would go on to win 2-1, leaving them on 34 points after 30 games with hopes to finish within the top half of the table.
14) Stoke 0-3 Everton
His only goal of the 2015/16 season would be during a 3-0 victory over Stoke during February of 2016. With the Blues leading 1-0 mid-way into the first half thanks to a Lukaku penalty, Tom Cleverley would swing a corner onto the head of Coleman. The goal would help contribute as the Blues looked to kick on for Europe, sitting eighth on 35 points after 25 games.
15) Everton 3-1 Middlesbrough
Everton would not have to wait long into the 2016/17 season to see Coleman back on the scoresheet, waiting just five games to convert. Some neat football between Idrissa Gueye, Lukaku and then Coleman would lead to the ball running to the full-back with space to burst into. A stutter-step to get across the box allowed Coleman to strike on his left foot into the bottom right corner. In a brilliant start to the season which saw Everton unbeaten so far under new manager Ronald Koeman, Coleman's strike would give the Blues the lead for the first time in the game following an own goal from Maarten Stekelenburg.
16) Everton 1-1 Swansea
With form having dwindled the Blues would find themselves 1-0 down to a Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty against Swansea. With Yannick Bolasie putting a ball into the box, it would deflect high into the air with Coleman rising to be the first to meet the ball and head into the top left corner giving the Toffees an 89th-minute equaliser.
17) Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Just under a month on from his equaliser against Swansea, the Blues would look to their current captain once again to bring them from behind in a clash with Arsenal. With the two legendary Everton full-backs combining once again, Baines would cross the ball from the left-hand side on his weaker foot to Coleman, who beat the defenders in the air, floating his header into the top right corner. This goal would inspire a comeback, allowing Everton to maintain their push for a Europa League spot with 23 points sitting in eighth place.
18) Crystal Palace 0-1 Everton
With a late night away tie in London looking bleak for Everton, Crystal Palace would suffer from the Coleman coincidence as the Irishman gave the Blues an 87th-minute winner. Following a spell of pressure, youngster Tom Davies found himself with time to pick out a pass from beyond the 18-yard area into Coleman, who was in acres of space himself. Pushing to the byline, he rifled the ball into the roof of the net, ensuring the Blues left Selhurst Park with all three points. Securely in seventh place, the goal would mean Everton could reinforce their right to play European football next season.
19) Everton 3-1 Brighton
Now under the sixth manager during his time at Everton, Coleman would finally net again following a goalless season the year before. With Richarlison striking early, Lewis Dunk levelled for Brighton and once again it was up to the Irish full-back to reclaim the lead for the Toffees. Coleman struck from the edge of the box to help Everton regain the lead.
20) Everton 2-0 Burnley
It would then be a long wait until the penultimate game of the 2018/19 season before Coleman would convert again. With a scrappy few moments in the Burnley box, Lucas Digne would take a long strike which was well saved by Nick Pope but only landed in the path of Coleman, who would head into the empty net.
21) Everton 3-0 Leeds United
Following a dismal run of one win in 15, Everton hosted Leeds in their first Premier League game under now manager Frank Lampard and with the Blues desperately needing to get some points on the board as they attempted to focus on Premier League survival. With some nice one-touch football, Richarlison would square the ball across the box in the 10th minute toward Dominic Calvert-Lewin. It would then pop up in the air and Coleman would convert the opener before falling into the net. This goal was the catalyst in a game Everton would go on to win comfortably and would ensure the Blues could leave some buffer space between themselves and the bottom three.
22) Everton 1-0 Leeds
And the most recent goal in the Coleman coincidence would come this past weekend, once again against Leeds. The captain has a tendency to score some important goals and looking back at the end of the season this could end up being one of the most vital. With Leeds also battling for Premier League survival and Everton repeatedly losing to their relegation rivals, it was of the utmost importance for this to be a win for the Blues. Alex Iwobi dropped the ball into the path of Coleman who, from a tight angle, fire in a sublime effort that sent the Gwladys Street into celebration.
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