Seamus Coleman is set to make his 400th appearance for Everton when he leads his side out in Monday’s Merseyside Derby against Liverpool and while he is sure the player’s legacy is already secure, Sean Dyche, now his ninth manager at the club believes the demands his captain places upon his team-mates remain instrumental to setting the standards required when wearing the royal blue jersey.
Since first arriving at Goodison Park from Sligo Rovers in January 2009 for his fabled £60,000 fee which arguably makes him the biggest pound-for-pound bargain in Premier League history, Coleman’s longevity has ensured he has another couple of Everton appearance milestones within his sights after he becomes the 19th player to reach the 400-game mark. Playing at Anfield would put the man from Killybegs, County Donegal, on 343 Premier League appearances, just five behind Leighton Baines, nine shy of Leon Osman and within 11 of Tim Howard, the Blues’ all-time leader in the competition.
Dyche admits that after a hectic first fortnight in his job, acclimatising Everton’s players to his methods, the subject of new deals for players whose contracts expire this summer has not yet been discussed. Coleman is one of those squad members in such a bracket but if he’s still around next season then there is even the scope to move past the likes of the aforementioned Osman and Dixie Dean into Everton’s top 10 for appearances in all competitions.
