Donegal’s loss is Ireland’s gain.
Seamus Coleman grew up prioritising Gaelic Football.
He made time for both the GAA and the soccer. He applied himself like no other in both but he was renowned in the county for his exploits with the O’Neill’s ball more so than its size five counterpart.
Ever since he was in primary school, he was cleaning up trophies in the Gaelic world and, with Coleman in the team, his club Killybegs won county championships at under-12s, under-16s and back-to-back minor titles. They had a Feile success in there as well at under-14 level.
Coleman was going places with the ball in his hands and all the big guns already knew about him.
His under-18 coach, Peter McGinley, still remembers his deadly effect.
“In the final of the second minor championship, Leo McLoone was causing havoc in the first half and Seamie went back to mark him,” McGinley explained to SportsJOE.
“Seamie would’ve been man of the match that day in the final and he would’ve possibly been playing for Sligo Rovers at the same time.
“Glenties were definitely the better team in the first half but Seamie changed everything.
“He wouldn’t have been the tallest but he was in and around the middle and he just really took the game to Glenties. That was a very impressive performance that day.”
Just like it is in the soccer, it was his drive that set him apart.
Seamus Coleman: 100% Irish
Bowl haircut ✅
Proper gloves ✅
O'Neill's ball ✅ pic.twitter.com/zInJW62iHf— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) December 28, 2016
Despite his commitments with the two different sports on different teams, Coleman was fast-tracked into the Killybegs senior side as a teenager and he had no problem taking on the big guns either.
“He would’ve been playing for the seniors at that time, 16 going on 17,” McGinley revealed. “He was an attacking half back for them but he actually ended up with a few man-marking jobs.
“I remember Adrian Sweeney was down here for a league match and he was playing well for Donegal at that stage and Seamie marked him out of the game.
“When you were a couple of points down, he was the man you wanted.
“No matter where he was playing, he would always chip in with a few scores, even if he was doing a man-marking job.”
That effect extends as far as one of Donegal’s greatest ever talents.
“Michael Murphy has said he remembers a minor league final when Glenswilly played Killybegs,” McGinley recalls.
“Murphy was centre half forward and Seamie was centre half back marking him but Michael Murphy said he spent most of the game marking Coleman.
“He wouldn’t have been the biggest on the team but he would’ve been one of the main players in and around centre half back – a very, very tenacious, attacking footballer.”
Bhí Seamus Coleman, imreoir @Everton & @FAIreland i láthair tráthnóna inniu ag cluiche leath 1/2 cheannais @KilcarGAA v @NaomhConaillGAA pic.twitter.com/guSHEmFkon
— Damien Ó Dónaill (@RNF36) October 2, 2016
And when he finishes his rise in the soccer world, he wants to get back home to live in Killybegs and play local GAA again.
“Any time he’s at home, if he’s back for a month or two in the summer, he’d be up kicking about with the under-8s and under-10s and up giving them a few wee words. That’s the kind of modest type of a fella he is.”
Read the full story of his development in Donegal here.
A leader of men. A leader of Ireland. https://t.co/oBE42N5zep
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 29, 2016
