- Seamus Coleman leaves Everton after 17 years at the club
- Coleman holds the club record for most Premier League appearances with 372
- Frank Lampard praised Seamus Coleman after a brilliant campaign in 2022
Seamus Coleman is set to leave Everton at the end of the season. The Irish full‑back, signed by David Moyes for a famous bargain fee of just £60,000, holds the club record for most Premier League appearances with 372. As he prepares for his final home match against Sunderland, tributes have poured in.
Frank Lampard joined Everton in January 2022 during a difficult spell. Few tributes are as powerful as those from Frank Lampard, who praised Seamus Coleman after avoiding relegation that season. Lamprad’s resonate even more as Coleman is set to leave Everton.
The 2021-22 season: Seamus Coleman carried the burden
Everton’s 2021-22 campaign was disastrous. The club flirted with relegation and Frank Lampard was brought in as manager to steady the ship. At that moment, Seamus Coleman was the captain, and he carried the weight of the club on his shoulders. Lampard later recalled the impact the Irishman had from the very first day.
Speaking to EvertonTV in May 2022, Lampard said: “On day one, Seamus came to me, sat in my office and was honest about the club, things that will remain private. But he was honest about the situation and the size of the situation. I could see straight away the burden Seamus was carrying, in a good way, because he cares so much, and he just wanted to change it. From then on, after those words, his actions have been something else: speaking, training, standards every day, performances in games.”
Coleman’s leadership helped Everton avoid relegation that season. After safety was secured, Lampard stood in front of the dressing room and delivered a tribute that resonates even more today.
Frank Lampard: ‘I have never met anyone with his morals and standards’
Lampard’s words that day were raw and heartfelt. “I have never seen humility like it, in my time in football. I heard a lot of good things about Seamus before I came to the club. He has gone there and beyond. I have never met anyone who has his morals and standards and he is an incredible player. You talk about legends of football clubs and he is certainly one of those.”
In front of the entire Everton dressing room, Lampard added: “This fella, to say in front of everyone, is one of the best people I have ever met, as a man and what you are and as a player.”
Talking about Seamus Coleman, on the Stick to Football podcast, Lampard expanded on his influence. “Seamus was amazing from the first time I sat with him. It wasn’t just what he did on the pitch; it was what he did off the pitch. His standards, his humility, everything about him as a team player – a family man. But there’s not a bit of him that’s not genuine, and he wore it on his face when we were struggling. It was like he really cared about it.”
Coleman’s time at Everton ends after 17 years. But as Lampard’s words make clear, his legacy is not just about appearances or trophies. It is about character, humility, and carrying a club through its toughest moments. Seamus Coleman leaves as a true Everton legend.
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