Williams: Coleman focused on his recovery

Ashley Williams expects Everton to rally around Seamus Coleman as he faces into a lengthy recovery from a double-leg fracture.

Williams was on the pitch when Coleman was injured after a tackle by Neil Taylor in the World Cup qualifier draw between the Republic of Ireland and Wales at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Coleman is facing a prolonged absence from the game as he recovers from surgery to pin his broken tibia and fibula but Williams insists his team-mate is 'positive' and 'focused on his recovery'.

“Seamus is one of my best mates at Everton, someone who I’ve got really close to. I tried to go to the hospital Seamus was in after the game but the FAI said he’d had a few family visitors and they were trying to get him to sleep," Williams explained to the club's official website.

“I sent him a text and he woke up in the night and texted me back. I spoke to him then. I’ve spoken to him since, too, and he seems positive and focused on his recovery.

“We all support him and everyone at the Club will rally round to be there for him during his rehab.”

Williams was one of the players to comfort Coleman as he was stretchered off but the Wales captain admits he did not know how serious the injury was until after the game.

“I didn’t really see the tackle. All I saw was the red card and my initial reaction was to go to the referee," the centre-back explained.

"At the time I was in the swing of things. It took me a minute to realise, ‘Actually, he hasn’t got up,’ and that it was Seamus who was down. At that point, I wasn’t thinking about the game, or us being down to 10 men, I started thinking, ‘Is my mate okay?’ That was when I went over to him.

“Even at that point I didn’t know it was so serious. After the game I went straight into their dressing room to speak to James McCarthy and he told me Seamus had gone to hospital and had broken his leg.

“It was just a weird feeling from everyone around the dressing rooms. Even people who don’t know Seamus like I do were gutted. Neil Taylor was completely gutted. He was sitting on the floor virtually in tears. He asked me to check if it would be okay to go to see Seamus in hospital. He got his number off me and sent him a text straight away.

“When I found out it was a broken leg it made me feel sick inside because it’s someone who I like so much and is one of my mates.

“He’s going to have up and down days but the way he is, I’m sure his determination will help with his rehab and hopefully we’ll have him back sooner rather than later and stronger than ever.” 

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