Seamus Coleman has been spotted training with his hometown Gaelic football club, Killybegs, as the former Everton captain continues his search for a new soccer club following his summer departure from Goodison Park.
The 37-year-old Republic of Ireland skipper brought the curtain down on a 17-year association with Everton at the end of last season, having joined the Merseyside club back in 2009 and gone on to become one of its most enduring and respected figures. Since leaving, Coleman has remained without a club, though he was included in the Republic of Ireland squad for June's international friendlies, underlining that he still has plenty to offer at international level.
Speculation intensified over the weekend when reports and social media chatter suggested Coleman might be lining up for Killybegs in Gaelic football, coinciding with the opening weekend of the Donegal Senior Football Championship. Killybegs began their campaign with an away trip to face Four Masters on Sunday afternoon, and excitement briefly grew among supporters that their local hero might make a surprise switch of codes.
However, those rumours ultimately proved wide of the mark. Coleman did not feature for Killybegs in their championship opener, and there is no indication that a genuine return to Gaelic football is on the cards. Instead, it is understood that his presence at training sessions with the GAA club has been purely a means of maintaining his fitness while he assesses his next move in professional football.
Coleman grew up in Killybegs, County Donegal, before making the switch to soccer, eventually rising through the ranks at Sligo Rovers and earning a move to Everton. Over nearly two decades at Goodison Park, he became one of the club's longest-serving players, captaining the side and earning legendary status among supporters for his loyalty and consistency at right-back.
At international level, Coleman remains a key figure for the Republic of Ireland, having long served as captain of the national team. His continued involvement in Ireland's recent friendly fixtures, despite lacking a club, is a testament to the value his experience and leadership still carry within the squad set-up.
For now, though, the veteran defender finds himself in an unfamiliar position: without a club for the first time in his senior career, training informally to stay sharp while he weighs up his options. Using local GAA facilities and sessions to keep fit is a practical solution many footballers in similar situations have turned to in the past, and it appears Coleman is following that path while he waits for the right opportunity to present itself in the world of professional football.
Whether that opportunity comes in the League of Ireland, elsewhere in Europe, or even a return to English football remains to be seen. What is clear is that Coleman's Gaelic football involvement, at least for now, is nothing more than a fitness exercise rather than a genuine code-switch, despite the flurry of excitement it generated among fans over the weekend.
As the new football season progresses, attention will remain on Coleman's next steps, with many hoping the Republic of Ireland captain finds a new home where he can continue his playing career at the top level.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.