Everton star has actually been playing with an injury for Lampard this season, manager insists

Add as preferred source on Google

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has revealed that Everton captain Seamus Coleman has played through the injury barrier at times this season.

Kenny has leapt to the defence of the right-back following the criticism Coleman recently received from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

Following a 5-0 hammering to Tottenham last month, the former Liverpool centre-back slated Coleman’s display in North London.

But speaking at a media event in Sligo, Kenny has defended Everton’s number 23 and rebuffed Carragher’s harsh comments.

“I thought Seamus actually was in really good form when Frank Lampard came in first, and then just to have a bad game that was live on TV, he obviously got a lot of criticism and people then believed that’s how he’s been playing for six or eight weeks when he hadn’t, he’d actually been playing very well up to that,” he said.

“So he got criticism, but the issue with Seamus is not that he’s not at the level.

“He is at the level, it’s just sometimes he’s put himself out there when he’s not been 100 per cent, putting the team first, and he’s not one to speak up, it’s ‘if you want me out there and the physio says I’m right, I’ll play’, so he’s come back very quickly from injury and probably when he wasn’t right.

“And I’ve seen him in some matches when he knew he wasn’t right. He’s so selfless that way.”

After missing the defeats against West Ham and Burnley, Coleman was back in the Everton starting line-up for Saturday’s priceless 1-0 win versus Manchester United at Goodison Park.

The 33-year-old has made 27 appearances this season and his experience and leadership as the Toffees’ captain could prove crucial as Frank Lampard’s side battle for Premier League survival.