Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson has drafted former captain Seamus Coleman in a new ‘hybrid role,’ with a view to extending his playing career.
Coleman has been without a club since leaving Everton at the end of last season and has openly pondered the prospect of retirement at the age of 38.
His name was not in a list of 24 players called up by Hallgrímsson for this month’s important Nations League games against Austria and Kosovo but the manager made a point of revealing that Coleman would be joining up with the group.
The full back will be working alongside the management group but will also take part in some of the team’s training schedule, leaving the door open to adding to his 81 international caps.
“I can inform you that Seamus will be in some sort of a hybrid role this camp. He is going to do the sessions with the players, but he is going to be in a leadership role and supportive role with us as coaches,” Hallgrímsson said.
“Hopefully that will get him to start playing again. That’s our aim, to try to push him to continue playing. He has expressed that he wants to do that. We need to see where he is at. He hasn’t done team training for some period now, so we need to see where he is at.
“Obviously it’s tempting [to call him up[ with how he did for us without playing much for Everton. It makes us believe that he can always play for the national team and do good. But we will have to wait and see.”
It was a familiar squad list, bolstered by the return of fit-again skipper Nathan Collins, Harvey Vale and goalkeeper Mark Travers.
The Republic travel to Linz on Nov. 14, then host Kosovo in Dublin three days later. Maximum points could see them promoted to League A, while one may be enough to secure a playoff place as they look to position themselves for European Championship qualification.
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Hallgrímsson did not call on Josh Cullen, who has only just returned after a lengthy lay off for Burnley, instead allowing him to build his readiness before adding to his workload.
“I spoke to Josh in London, he’s very close to fitness but maybe not international fitness. Not a 90-minute fitness,” he said.
“He wants to wait and fully get his fitness back with staff at his club.”
The games also come too soon for Evan Ferguson and Jaden Umeh, who are working their way back from injuries of their own.
Hallgrímsson was cautious when it came to the subject of Manchester United prospect Shea Lacey, a Liverpool-born England youth international who could qualify via his Irish father.
Asked if he had made any contact to check on the 19-year-old’s interest, he said: “Not from me, that would be for other guys within the association to have that contact. It was interesting, looking at his Irish connection …Interesting.”
