https://www.balls.ie/football/opinion-seamus-coleman-injury-comeback-361860
The news that Seamus Coleman has undergone surgery in Dublin and has been given an early estimate of '2018' as a return date confirms our worst fears regarding the nature of his injury.
It's a bad break, and that's terribly unfortunate for any player yet alone one as universally respected as the Ireland captain.
There's never a good time to suffer a leg break, but at 28 there are understandable concerns that his recovery may be more difficult than that of a younger player. I'm not sure I agree with that, however.
It is undeniable that the man from Killybegs is made of tough stuff. The fact that he is where he is now, an undroppable starter for Everton in the Premier League, captain of Ireland, regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world, is a testament to that. He himself has happily admitted that he was never the best technical player at Sligo Rovers, and would be picked last at the weekly 5-a-side, but it was his determination and drive that got him into the first team where he was able to get noticed and earn a move to test himself in England.
The manner in which he continued to improve and work himself into the first-team, eventually going on to become one of the club's most important players, again shows that he's always been willing to get his head down and work his socks off, but perhaps the best description of how Coleman stands out in this respect has come from one of his close friends in football, David Meyler, who described him as a '24/7 pro'.
I had the chance to speak with Meyler recently, and when discussing the players that have stood out to him as fellow professionals, he mentioned Coleman without hesitation and listed the similarities between him and his other shout, Jordan Henderson.
It's not just training and games, it's everything.
The two of them, it's quite funny because they moan about each other because they're Liverpool/Everton, but the two of them are so similar it's frightening.
Both family men, both of them have been going out with their wives since they were 9 or 10, they're just dedicated pros, don't drink, they're just 24/7 pros.
They're both remarkable men, they set the standard so high that the rest of us are trying to catch them.
A similar sentiment can be seen in the reaction from other professionals in the hours after the news of Coleman's injury emerged.
While the likes of Wayne Rooney and Wilfried Zaha, neither of whom have ever played with Coleman, condemned the challenge and expressed their best wishes for the Irishman's recovery, another interesting reaction was that of Morgan Schneiderlin.
The Everton midfielder has only been with the club for around two months, and yet he wanted to get across what a great person Coleman was, as he had clearly made a big impact already.
It hasn't taken him long to realise that Coleman is one of the most important players at the club, because it's absolutely obvious from the way he conducts himself.
He is someone who puts everything into being a footballer. While it's bitterly disappointing for both Everton and Ireland, I am absolutely sure that he will be back to his best because everything he has shown me so far in his career suggests that he won't stop working, even after he's reached a goal or a target.
Look at the way he conducted himself in the moments after the injury on Friday night. He made so little fuss that nobody knew how bad the injury was until well after the red card was shown, and there were cheers when Taylor was given his marching orders as it took a while for some to notice Coleman was in trouble. He's a remarkably tough individual.
Make no mistake about it, a leg break can have a really negative impact on a player. Missing out on training day-to-day and on matches, that's what really gets someone in that position down, they can feel forgotten about. That's why it's so important to be mentally strong for the rehabilitation process, and to have a good support system in place.
He's certainly got that.
Antonio Valencia recovered from a broken leg to win Man Utd's player of the year award in his first season back. On the flip-side, Luke Shaw has been struggling, and his Man Utd future is in doubt which is deeply upsetting for the fans who saw what he was capable of before his injury. Every case is unique, but I'm backing Coleman to see his recovery as a hurdle to overcome, and with his hard work and perseverance I'm sure he'll be back to his best.
If anyone can do it, and players like Henrik Larsson and Antonio Valencia have shown that it can be done, then Ireland's captain can.
Get well soon, Seamus Coleman.
