Sean Dyche said age will be irrelevant to Seamus Coleman while he retains the "edge" that still underpins his performances.
The Blues boss praised the 34-year-old for his defensive display against Leeds United, highlighting his work to nullify talented winger Wilfried Gnonto before describing his match-winning goal as a "fantastic finish".
The second half strike provided Dyche with his second win in his first three games in his new role and moved Everton out of the bottom three. The manager stressed the importance of each player within the squad to the result but acknowledged Coleman's contribution on Saturday.
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Speaking of the club captain's performance at Goodison Park, Dyche said: "I don't need to say too much about Seamus. He knows the great professional he is. I know he has had a lot of managers and I think you will find virtually every one has either played him or said what a great pro he is, so I don't think there is any worry there. And he deserves it. He has got that edge, he plays with that edge and that is key for me. If your fitness is good then your age is not relevant for me, it's that edge and he has certainly got that. Their [Leeds'] wide men have been playing really well, I've seen them a few times and they have been playing really well and he locked that down very early in the game and of course it was a fantastic win and fantastic finish to win us the match."
Asked if he could see why Coleman had been valued so highly by previous managers including Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Lampard, Dyche added: "I like professionalism, I like professional standards, I think he's got them without a doubt. These guys now they really look after themselves, they are very fit and have loads of support systems. I'm not really worried about age so long as you have still got an edge. And he still plays with an edge, he still trains with an edge, he looks like he is enjoying the challenge, he's used to the crowd here so he can handle all that - the 'ups and downs', the 'ifs and ands' and all that."
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