SEAMUS COLEMAN FEELS it’s about time he got to showcase his talents at a major tournament.
At 25, the Donegal native is regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest full-backs thanks to his exploits for Everton over the past couple of seasons.
When Ireland qualified for the European Championships two years ago, however, Coleman was left out of Giovanni Trapattoni’s final squad and watched them go down to Croatia, beaten finalists Italy and eventual champions Spain from his home in Killybegs.
This summer, the defender again was forced to view the top international sides do battle on television after the Boys in Green failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.
Sunday’s meeting with Georgia in Tbilisi spells the beginning of a ten-game campaign which Coleman is hoping it ends with Martin O’Neill’s men booking a place at Euro 2016 in France.
“I really enjoyed watching the World Cup but you just want to be part of it,” he said yesterday.
“I didn’t play at the last European Championships so I’m definitely hungry to be part of that. That’s what you want as an international player — to be on the biggest stage.
It’s going to be a difficult game. We’ve seen a couple of clips and a couple of teams have gone there, France and Spain, and haven’t found it too easy. We know it’s going to be difficult so we’ll be set up well.
“They get behind the ball and defend well to make it difficult, then they’ve got a couple of good players on the counter,” he adds. We’re well prepared and we’re looking forward to it.
“Three points is very important to kick off the campaign and gain confidence.”
