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Jake O’Brien says ‘top’ Everton player really shocked him when he signed for the club

Jake O’Brien has experienced his fair share in his first season at Everton.

Indeed, O’Brien has gone right into the eye of the storm at Everton as there’s been new owners, a managerial change and the looming stadium move to deal with all season long.

O’Brien signed for Everton in the summer, and speaking on Off The Ball, the defender has admitted that one player really shocked him when he first arrived at the club.

According to the defender, he was really surprised by Seamus Coleman’s personality when he arrived on Merseyside, retelling a story of how Coleman ran a team meeting when the side were going through a difficult patch of form.

Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Jake O’Brien was shocked by Seamus Coleman when he signed for Everton

O’Brien spoke about what Coleman is like behind the scenes at Everton.

According to the defender, Coleman is always setting standards at Finch Farm, claiming that he couldn’t believe just how driven the right-back is.

Coleman has been hailed for his professionalism in the past, and O’Brien has told a similar story here.

“He’s not like that, but he’s always driving the sessions, he drives everyone to be better. I couldn’t believe it when I came in the type of character he is. When we’d be going through a rough patch he’d get everyone in the meeting room and drive a meeting by himself and remind everyone what the standards should be. He’s such a top player and a top guy as well. He has that mentality, and there’s not much of it in football anymore,” O’Brien said.

“Everyone respects him so much, he’s such a good guy and a genuine guy.”

What Seamus Coleman has said about becoming a manager

By the sounds of it, Coleman is a born leader, and it only makes sense for the defender to eventually pivot into management.

Coleman got his first taste of coaching earlier this year after Sean Dyche was sacked by Everton as he joined Leighton Baines on the touchline on an interim basis.

Coleman noted that he is open to management in the future after that experience, via the .

“It was a crazy few hours, for sure,” admits the Irish international. “I was due to be on the bench as a player on the night, then, obviously, it all changed very quickly.

“I think we used a mixture of both what he’s been doing tactically and me being myself with the group, trying to make the lads understand the importance of it all and what’s in store for the Football Club.

“Even just spending that little bit of time with Leighton is probably the first time I’ve properly planned for a match, albeit it was a very short period of time.

“Being on that side, seeing and feeling how it works and being on the sideline and seeing your team was good, and enjoyable.

“In the future it’s definitely something I think I will have a crack at.”

Frank Lampard has praised Coleman for his attitude in the past, and who knows? Perhaps one day Coleman could be the Everton boss once his playing days are done.

One thing is for sure, Jake O’Brien couldn’t have asked for a better role model at Everton.