Legendary pundit Eamon Dunphy has heaped praise upon Seamus Coleman – labelling the Killybegs man “the most important figure in Irish football.”
He made the comments in his weekly column for the Irish Mirror, in the wake of Coleman’s recent minor hamstring injury which will leave the Everton legend on the sidelines again for a few weeks.
However Dunphy believes that the same determination and resilience that saw Seamus become an Everton legend will carry both him and the Irish team to glory in the World Cup Playoffs in March.
“We talk a lot in Irish football about identity — about what it means, where it has gone, how we get it back,” Dunphy wrote.
“But if you want to understand Irish identity in its purest form, you don’t need a coaching manual or a PowerPoint presentation. You just need to look at Séamus Coleman.”
“Because Coleman isn’t just a footballer. He is a product of his landscape — rugged, wind-beaten, uncompromising Donegal. A county where nothing is handed to you, where every inch must be earned, where character is carved out of hardship.”
Dunphy refers to a moment in Coleman’s early career at Sligo Rovers where he had been told his manager had no plans for him as a key source of motivation which has kept Seamus hungry almost 20 years later.
“He has said many times that moment changed him. It taught him that nothing is guaranteed in football or in life.”
“It taught him to appreciate every chance, every training session, every ounce of trust placed in him. And it taught him the most valuable lesson of all: if you want to hold onto something, you fight for it.
“That’s why he’s still playing at 37. That’s why he’ll recover from the hamstring injury he picked up on Monday.”
”That’s why he remains the most important figure in Irish football.”
“People keep asking whether Ireland should fear the 2026 World Cup play off against the Czechs — whether we have enough leadership to win it.”
“And the truth is: we don’t know. There are no guarantees.”
”There are no shortcuts. There are no magic systems or tactical revolutions that replace real leadership.”
“What we do know is this: Ireland are a weaker, less certain, less mature team without Coleman.”
According to Dunphy, Seamus is the last remnant of the “old Ireland” of the early 2000s.
“Coleman is our last leader. Our last adult in the room. The final bridge between the old Ireland — the Ireland of Duff, Given, Dunne — and whatever the new Ireland is supposed to be.”
“When Coleman speaks, players listen. When he trains, they copy him. When he steps back into the dressing room, the temperature changes. There is a standard he sets that young players today don’t understand.”
You can read his full column about Coleman, Ireland’s chances to qualify for the World Cup, and his view on how Irish football should be shaped in the future, by clicking here.
Dunphy – Seamus Coleman “most important figure in Irish football” was last modified: November 30th, 2025 by Staff Writer
Comments (0)