mates energising clubless Coleman

For Séamus Coleman, there are only two certainties in his footballing life right now: Qatar and Canada.

Beyond that, the 37-year-old Republic of Ireland veteran could be forgiven for feeling unmoored at club level for the first time since he left Sligo Rovers for a bargain price and moved to the blue half of Merseyside 17 years ago.

The Donegal man's long association with Everton - much of it spent as beloved club captain - has just come to an emotional end and a summer sifting through future destinations lies ahead.

The big question of where next is one Coleman is putting on the backburner for now, although it's the other significant 'F' in his life that will dictate who he ultimately signs for or whether he even continues playing.

However, before then, Coleman is fully focused on the Boys in Green's friendlies against World Cup-bound nations Qatar and Canada over the next nine days.

"I have always said in my career, family first, football second, they are the only two things going for me, family and football," he told RTÉ Sport at Ireland's press conference ahead of Thursday's Aviva Stadium friendly against Julen Lopetegui's Qataris.

"So family will absolutely come into it, but I honestly haven't thought too much about a club or what is next.

"I am looking forward to these two Ireland games and am looking forward to going on holiday, but in football, you never know what will happen. Just see what is next, if it feels right or if it doesn't."

If Ireland's Prague pain had instead been the catalyst for World Cup qualification, Coleman hinted that this summer may have been the perfect time to hang up his boots for club and country.

Indeed, he was still quietly mulling over his future in the lead-up to March's friendly against North Macedonia, hence why he brought his kids out onto the pitch with him at Aviva Stadium on the off-chance that it would turn out to be his last appearance.

But a conversation with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson put the seed in his mind about potentially carrying on for his country and aiming towards being part of a Euro 2028 adventure that would largely be played out on Irish soil.

"I think it was just a conversation with the manager on the bus, just after training one day that got me thinking again," he said.

"I wasn't necessarily thinking about it, but I also know I have a responsibility to stay fit and stay active and to be performing, because it is not a given, of course.

"That is why I am not dead set on what I am going to do, I am going to take my holiday and see what’s out there, but the carrot of the Euros and the manager at the moment wanting me to be around is definitely very tempting."

He added: "I think if we'd got to a World Cup, maybe things would be different, but I spoke to the manager and he said if I can be fit and well and perform and he would like to have me around.

"So, as soon as the carrot of Ireland got dangled in front of me, that became a massive factor in my decisions and I'm looking forward to the two games now in the summer and having a break and kind of seeing where I go to next or where I stand after that."

By the time Euro 2028 rolls around, Coleman would be just shy of his 40th birthday. If his former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is anything to go by though, he will be more than capable of performing adequately at that age.

"If Carlo Ancelotti says it, then yeah. I know he said it, yeah, so I am not going to contradict him. He knows what he's talking about," Coleman quipped.

"Listen, I have been unfortunate with some injuries so maybe there is not as many miles on the clock as maybe some other 37-year-olds. Physically, I do feel really good, I am not up and down like a 24-year-old but I do feel really good, so again, I am not going to look as far ahead as 40.

"But it is going to be a nice summer to sit down, relax, see how I feel, reflect and see where we go from there."

This Ireland camp though has been a reminder of how long he has been playing at a high level. The younger cohort of call-ups - Jaden Umeh, Mason Melia and Adam Brennan - are pretty much half of his age to be exact. It's a fact not lost on Coleman.

"It's funny because the manager put up some profiles of staff and players yesterday and the date of birth beside it and I was like, 'Oh my God’. I couldn't believe it," he said.

"But I love it, I love getting to know them, I love trying to help them in any way. But yeah, these are the lads now that are trying to help keep me young because you're still competing and you're still trying to keep up to pace with them.

"But it's great to see so many young faces in the squad and I'm sure that'll help us a lot in the future going down the line when they get some experience with the team."

And it's that infusion of youth as much as the optimism built up over the last few months that has him relishing remaining a part of Ireland's next chapter if he can find a landing spot at club level.

"The last qualifying campaign was powerful in many ways in how it gripped the nation again. I don't feel like 'that’s it, we nearly qualified and it’s done'. The manager is sitting beside me here and I do find in his meetings since he came in that there are subtle messages in his meetings, subtle message to try and get into the lads’ heads that we’re building towards something and building to be consistent: We missed out on the last one but why did we miss out and we’re close…," he said.

"Just subtle messages all the time and hopefully the lads will start qualifying more regularly and it would be great to be part of the next one, jeez that would be a dream, but in football I can’t be seen to be looking that far ahead either."

And as he emphasised more than once, Qatar first and then Canada are all he is thinking about right now.

Watch Republic of Ireland v Qatar on Thursday from 7.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app

Watch the Champions League final, PSG v Arsenal, on Saturday from 4pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app

Click here to read article