Seamus Coleman has revealed that he was disappointed to read media reports that he was forced to attend a press conference ahead of Stephen Kenny’s first game in charge.
Kenny started Matt Doherty ahead of Seamus Coleman for the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw away to Bulgaria last September and reports after the game suggested that the latter was unhappy about having to attend the pre-match press conference when he knew he wasn’t in the starting XI.
But Coleman has dismissed claims that he had an issue attending the press conference and explained how he appreciated the fact that Kenny pulled him to one side to let him know that he didn’t have to speak to the media if he felt uncomfortable about it.
Coleman, however, takes his captaincy duties very seriously and made sure to attend the presser.
The Everton full-back admitted he didn’t know if he would start in Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia on Wednesday night and when asked if it was difficult to attend press conferences when unsure if he would play, he seized the opportunity to voice his frustration about last year’s media reports.
“It’s absolutely not one bit difficult whatsoever,” Coleman said, via Off The Ball.
“There is no ego with me. I read something about me being disappointed with getting told to go to a press conference.
“The manager left me out of his first game, had the decency to call me to his room and explain the situation which I was fine with because Matt was playing very well at the time.
“There is absolutely no ego involved with me and there never has been.
“Then to read that I was disappointed to be asked to go to a press conference when the manager had the decency to say, ‘you don’t have to do the press conference if you don’t want to’.
“He said, ‘I know it might be disappointing because you’re not playing, if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to, if you want to do it, it’s fine’.
“My duty as captain, my duty to the rest of the players is to be positive around the place whether I play or I don’t play.
“And I went to that press conference with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
“It was actually very disappointing to read something like that about myself when I’ve got a character in the game that plenty of managers would back – and I think they would say that’s strange or that’s surprising.
“So that was disappointing to read, I have to say.”
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