Everton star admits he needs to work on adding goals to his game

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Seamus Coleman says he wants to start posing the attacking threat from right-back that he used did in previous years.

Everton defender Seamus Coleman has admitted to the club’s official website that he wants to return to posing an attacking threat as well as having to deal with opposing wingers at the back.

The 27-year-old made his name as an attacking full-back when he first arrived from Irish side Sligo Rovers in 2009, scoring six goals in 40 appearances in all competitions in his debut season on Merseyside.

Two seasons ago he bettered that tally by netting seven times in 41 appearances, being named as right-back in the PFA team of the year, and even last season, in a disappointing campaign for the Toffees, he found the net on five occasions.

However, this season he has scored just once as Roberto Martinez’s side have found themselves struggling to dominate opposition teams, with his only strike coming in a 3-0 away win at Stoke City in early February.

The Republic of Ireland international had possibly his side’s best chance of the game as his volley was saved by Wayne Hennessey in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

Coleman admitted his frustration at seeing that effort kept out and revealed he has been working on starting to make the runs to the back post again which had become his trademark in past years.

He told the club’s official website: “I’ve looked at my own game in the last couple of months and I haven’t been getting in those positions where I used to. I’ve had a talk about it and I’ve decided to start getting back in at the back post.

“With the volley, I made the run, got in, it was a great ball from Baz [Leighton Baines] and I’ve just tried to connect with the ball and, unfortunately, it didn’t go in.

“But hopefully between now and the end of the season I’ll be creeping in towards that back post again and starting to grab some goals.”

Everton boast one of the Premier League’s leading goalscorers in Romelu Lukaku and a prolific midfielder in Ross Barkley, with the pair having scored 37 goals between them in all competitions this season.

However, Coleman’s one goal and three assists from 33 appearances represent a diminished return for the defender, and he will be hoping to recapture that aspect of his game sooner rather than later.