Coleman scoops Everton Young Player award

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Seamus Coleman goes into Everton’s last Premier league outing of the campaign on Sunday afternoon having been awarded the club’s young player of the year award at the BT Convention Centre on Thursday night.

Twenty-two-year-old Coleman is in line for his 40th appearance for the Merseyside club this season as Chelsea visit Goodison Park, having started 30 times and scored six goals. Everton go into the game against the team they have already knocked out of the FA Cup this term in seventh place.

Manager David Moyes can take great credit for the progress made by the Killybegs native, who he moved from his conventional position of right-back to a more advanced role of right midfield in September.

“Seamus did tremendously well at Blackpool last season and he's given us something fresh and new this year,” Moyes said at the awards ceremony. “He's been great and, with what we've seen, we hope he'll be able to step up again.”

Coleman, who played in the Donegal League for his local St Catherine’s side and then in the League of Ireland for Sligo Rovers, will hope to add to his one international cap picked up against Wales in February when the Republic of Ireland round off the Carling Nations Cup with fixtures against Northern Ireland on Tuesday and Scotland on Sunday. After his fine season with Everton, though, he said he is continuing to learn.

“I'm trying to pick up different things but I don't want to lose that natural ability,” he said “I just like being able to get it and go. It's done me well so far, so hopefully that can continue to be the case. I haven't had a whole load of coaching. I just go for it. I want to get past my full-back. If I don't do it the first time, I'll keep trying.

“It's still there a little bit, that feeling that it's all a bit surreal. I've said to myself that I've got to get rid of that because you can't always think that way. At the same time, I don't want to get used to it. I still want to have that little feeling of being in awe because you can never take your place for granted.”