The Saints striker made his Republic of Ireland debut last year and was grateful to the Toffees defender and national captain.
Southampton forward Michael Obafemi has spoken of his experience as a new arrival within the Republic of Ireland senior setup, praising Everton’s Seamus Coleman for making him feel welcome.
The 18-year-old, who was born in Dublin but was also eligible to play for England and Nigeria, declared for the Boys in Green – then managed by Martin O’Neill – in November last year, as reported by BBC Sport.
Obafemi was named in the senior squad for the first time for the friendly against Northern Ireland on 15 November and the UEFA Nations League match against Denmark on 19 November 2018, making his debut in the latter as a substitute.
In an interview with RTE, the Saints academy graduate spoke of how he only ever wanted to declare for the Republic, and that even though his main focus was on impressing with the Premier League club, he was nonetheless “buzzing” to have been called up to the nation.
When asked by the outlet who made him feel the most welcome, Obafemi replied: “Seamus Coleman. 100 percent. He just spoke to me and said, ‘glad to have you here. Obviously, I know your situation and stuff, take your time, don’t rush into anything and stuff like that’.”
Obafemi joined Southampton from Leyton Orient in 2016 and made his senior debut as a 17-year-old at home to Tottenham Hotspur in January last year, becoming the second-youngest player to feature for the Saints in the Premier League.
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