Seamus Coleman admits he took a little time to decide whether he would extend his contract at Everton.
As per The Irish News, the defender needed some ‘thinking time’ after he was offered an extension at Goodison Park.
Coleman joined Everton from Sligo Rovers for only £60,000 in 2009 and has since made over 400 appearances at the club.
The 34-year-old had already suffered a broken leg while on international duty with Republic of Ireland six years ago, so when he picked up a serious knee injury in May, there was concern that his career could be over.
Coleman still remains on the sidelines after three months out, however his time on Merseyside is far from over after he put pen-to-paper on a new one-year contract in June.
The Everton supporters would have been left heartbroken if their captain was to leave this summer, especially without a proper goodbye. However, the right-back is eager to continue for a further year once he returns to full fitness.
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Seamus Coleman ‘needed time’ before extending his Everton deal
Despite Coleman‘s commitment to the club, he has revealed it wasn’t an instant ‘yes’ when he was offered a new deal.
“I wasn’t thinking of ‘Where to next?’ We’d just had two very hard, draining seasons,” Coleman explained.
“It’s tough when you live and breathe it. I just had some thinking time.
“Ultimately, in the back of my mind, I love this football club. I love playing football for starters and as long as I feel able I thought to myself ‘You’ve got to give it another go.’
“I’m happy that I did and recovered well. It was more a case of two seasons being tough and needing another a little breather before committing straight away.”
Coleman has now said that he is hoping to return to action within six to eight weeks, which could see him make his comeback in time for the Merseyside derby at Anfield on October 21.