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Seamus Coleman says his “sole motivation” is to now provide inspiration for the stricken James McCarthy.

Coleman watched on as his “best friend in football” suffered a double leg fracture against West Brom on Saturday at Goodison.

The Blues’ full-back was the victim of a double leg break 10 months ago but stepped up his recovery last night by playing just under an hour of Everton under-23s’ game with Portsmouth.

Coleman, whose cameo came in front of the watching Sam Allardyce, is closing in on a first-team return and says his focus is to be a source of hope for McCarthy during the long road to recovery.

“There wasn’t anything that came flooding back to me, or flashbacks, I was just devastated for my best friend in football,” Coleman said of McCarthy’s injury.

“It is a big shock for him and a big shock for his family.

“It is probably going to give me the motivation to be as good as I can possibly be to show James that there is a way back from it.

“Every day I go out, every week I go out, I am going to play the best I can so that he sees there is a way back.

“That is my motivation now. I have seen him and he will be back there is no doubt about that.

“I will be there for him, if I can play as best as I can then he can see me on a Saturday on Match of the Day setting up goals, scoring goals, that is the perfect motivation for him.

“My interviews have probably changed a little bit since his injury because that is now my sole motivation for him.”

Coleman says rehab can be a lonely place and concedes that McCarthy will have fluctuating emotions throughout his recovery.

But the 29-year-old believes the support network at Everton will ensure his team-mate has constant care and attention following a “traumatic” injury.

Asked if rehab is a lonely place, Coleman said: “It is but we have great people at the club.

“There physios are great. I personally worked with Carl Howarth for my period. He was great with me.

“They are upbeat, the lads were great. Everyone is different and he will have good days and bad days and little targets you have to reach.

“Any little aches and pains that he is feeling he can bounce them off me and they are clear in my memory.”

He added: “Nowadays all you have to do is look at the likes of Luke Shaw, Aaron Ramsey, Ross Barkley, myself.

“Obviously I need to get back playing week in, week out to show that I am back.

“It is a very traumatic injury to look at, but nowadays the recovery is quite straightforward.

“It is a good topic for newspapers to say, ‘will he ever play again?’ none of that nonsense.

“It would have to be extremely bad for that.

“Thankfully things are okay in that regard.”

(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)

Coleman suffered his double leg break in a challenge with Wales’ Neil Taylor last March and despite the severity of the injury he insists he never once doubted his return.

“The photographs and the videos aren’t great, but there were never any doubts,” he said.

“Nowadays you look at the lads who have picked up these injuries and they are all playing week in, week out in the Premier League. “The treatment you get – we are very lucky and thankful to everyone along the way.

“I have had unbelievable support from everyone – everyone in Ireland, everyone at Everton, my family, every little fan who has sent a letter or card they didn’t go unnoticed.

“All that gets you through it and back out on the pitch, but, no, there was never any doubt whatsoever.”

Coleman added: “Look, it was obviously tough. No one wants to be injured for that long and it is not nice the first couple of days, the first couple of weeks, but you just have to get your head around it.

“There are people in worst situations than me – I had my family around me, my little girl and my wife and my mum dad, brothers, my wife’s family and I got to spend some time at home. not everything was bad.

"As a footballer you want to play games, but I also appreciate how lucky I am. There are people in worst situations, I just cracked on, got my head down and in a weird way I enjoyed the journey and enjoyed the challenge. I am back now.”