Seamus Coleman has taken a major step toward a return to senior action with his first 90 minutes of the season.
The club captain played the full match as Everton’s Under-21s overcame Spanish side Athletic Club’s U21s in the Premier League International Cup on Wednesday night.
It was another boost for Blues boss Sean Dyche as he monitors the improving fitness of Coleman, who agreed a 12 month extension to his contract in the summer.
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The 35-year-old was joined in the starting line-up at Walton Hall Park by fellow senior professionals Ben Godfrey and Michael Keane, as well as match winner Lewis Dobbin, who has also been involved in first-team action during this campaign.
Coleman is building his fitness as he enters the final stages of his recovery from a knee injury suffered in the first half of the game at Leicester City in May. The Republic of Ireland international was stretchered off after a heavy challenge by Boubakary Soumare during the 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Earlier this season, Coleman expressed a willingness to feature in however many U21s matches were deemed necessary to prove his fitness. After getting back to work on the grass at Finch Farm, he said: “The rest is whatever the manager wants from me from here on - if he wants me to play 25 under-21 games to get fit I will do it, I just want to get back with the lads as quickly as possible.”
Coleman has now played in the last three U21s matches, with the 1-0 win over Athletic the first in which he completed 90 minutes.
The match also provided an opportunity for Keane and Godfrey to get competitive minutes. Both defenders are regulars in Dyche’s matchday squad but not his starting XI. Dobbin, the 20-year-old who was on loan at Derby County last season and who impressed Dyche during pre-season, scored the winner after being laid off by Sean McAllister just before half-time.
