Seamus Coleman’s horror injury against Wales brought the mood down of all who witnessed it.
Ashley Williams captained the Dragons during that goalless draw in the World Cup qualifiers. As a close friend of Coleman at Everton, the news affected him a little more than some of his teammates on the field.
He wasn’t aware of how serious the injury was at the time, but once he found out what had happened to the man who made him feel welcome at Goodison Park, he felt physically ill as he explained to evertonfc.com.
“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.”
Little consolation https://t.co/9lzidnvEuh
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) March 27, 2017
Immediately after receiving confirmation from James McCarthy, Williams tried to go visit his clubmate in hospital. After it became apparent that he wouldn’t be able to see him, he reached out on the phone and has been in contact with him quite a bit.
“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.
“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.”
As for Neil Taylor, the player who was sent off for the leg-breaker, he was an emotional wreck after hearing the news. When he was told he couldn’t visit Coleman, his instinct was to send him a text as soon as possible.
“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.”
