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Football

15th Aug 2017

Seamus Coleman’s heartwarming gesture to homelessness charity is only the start

Fair play

Patrick McCarry

This is just fantastic from the Ireland captain.

Seamus Coleman is on the long road back to fitness but he still has a ways to go. The Everton and Ireland defender broke his leg in two places, back in April, and will be fortunate to return to action before the year is out.

Having started his rehab programme back home in Donegal, Coleman is now back in England and training with his club. That has not stopped him with keeping track of events back home and from stepping in when a fundraiser was in danger of falling short of its target.

Everton Supporters’ Club set off from Goodison Park earlier this summer with the intention of cycling 230 miles to Sligo to raise money for the club’s ‘Home is where the heart is’ charity endeavour.

Everton in the Community, under former player David Unsworth, is seeking to raise £230,000 to ‘purchase, and operate, a house close to Goodison Park which will offer 16 to 23-year-olds who have fallen on hard times’ or dropped out of the care system in Liverpool.

The supporters’ club completed their challenge with some words of encouragement from Coleman and support from Sligo Rovers, his former club:

However, the drive to raise £60,000 – in honour of Coleman’s transfer fee to Everton – was not over.

At the start of this month, the fundraiser tally was just over £52,000. Ahead of the 2017/18 season, Coleman gave an extremely generous donation to ensure all involved had achieved their goal.

Footballers often makes these sort of donations to charitable causes so it is good, every now and then, for it to be highlighted and celebrated.

The £230,000 figure will go towards a great project and the house will do a lot of good but, for all involved, it is only the start.

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