Seamus Coleman desperate to face Spain

10 June 2013 08:53

Seamus Coleman is desperate for a chance to erase his Euro 2012 disappointment by lining up against Spain in New York.

The Everton full-back is in line to start the Republic of Ireland's friendly against the reigning world and European champions at Yankee Stadium during the early hours of Wednesday morning after missing the last encounter between the two nations. Spain and Ireland met at the Euro 2012 finals in Gdansk with the eventual tournament winners cruising to a 4-0 victory.

However, Coleman was at home watching on television after failing to make it into manager Giovanni Trapattoni's squad, and that heartache has helped to fuel his return to prominence. He said: "I was disappointed not to be out there. They are a great team, but hopefully I can play in another tournament for my country."

The right-back spot was filled at the Euros by the hugely experienced John O'Shea, but Coleman admits there was part of him which thought he should have been in Poland and Ukraine with his team-mates.

He said: "There would be something wrong with you if you didn't think you should have been there. Every player wants to be there. Obviously I felt I should have been there.

"But the manager had players he had to pick and obviously I wasn't playing in the position I'm playing in now, which I think went against me a bit. But it has made me stronger and I'm looking forward to playing many more times for Ireland."

In the meantime, Coleman has established himself as first-choice right-back for both Everton and Ireland, with Trapattoni having introduced both he and James McCarthy to his starting line-up.

Coleman said: "It just shows, if you are playing week in and week out with your club, you will get your rewards eventually. James is one of the top midfielders in England at the moment and has big future, for Ireland and at club level."

The pair will hope to be able to test themselves against some of the very best players world football has to offer as the Spaniards continue their preparations for the Confederations Cup, and that is an opportunity Coleman in particular is relishing.

He said: "A lot of the lads played against them last summer and from the way they talk about that game, it shows how good they were. As a player, you want to play against the very best players. It's a game I've been looking forward to since it was announced, I've been excited about it."

Source: PA