Unattached Coleman 'edging towards' retirement

What the report says

Former Everton defender Seamus Coleman says he is “edging towards” retirement, although he has not made a formal decision to end his playing career, according to BBC Sport Football. The 38-year-old has been without a club since leaving Everton at the end of last season after 17 years at Goodison Park, where he made a club-record 374 Premier League appearances.

Coleman told the Overlap Fan Debate with Jamie Carragher that he has kept himself fit while weighing up his future, but the lack of club training has made it difficult to stay sharp mentally and physically. He said he is content with family time and is treating the situation as an open-ended choice rather than something he wants to close off completely.

The BBC report says Coleman had been linked with Sheffield United during the summer and had been training on his own. He has not played since the Republic of Ireland’s friendly in Canada in June. Earlier, Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he expected Coleman to continue playing and hoped to select him again in future camps. Coleman had previously wanted to extend his career to Euro 2028, when Ireland will co-host the tournament, and had turned down a coaching role at Everton to pursue that goal.

The update matters because Coleman has been a long-serving figure for both Everton and the Republic of Ireland, with 81 international caps, and his next step could mark the end of a notable playing career.