Everton defender Seamus Coleman joined the club from Sligo Rovers in 2009
Everton defender Seamus Coleman has committed his long-term future to the club by signing a new five-and-a-half-year contract extension.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Toffees from Sligo Rovers in 2009, is now contracted to the Goodison Park club until 2018.
"I'm really happy to have signed for the length of time that I have"
Seamus Coleman
"I'm over the moon," he told the club's official website. "I'm glad to get it all done and to sign for so long at a club like Everton is a great achievement – I want to be here for as long as possible. Signing a contract here is fantastic and I'm really looking forward to the next couple of years.
"I'm going to keep working as hard as I have done since day one and keep improving every day in training to impress the manager. I'm really happy to have signed for the length of time that I have."
Coleman, a former Gaelic footballer, has made a total of 67 Barclays Premier League appearances for Everton and has become an important member of the squad on the right side of defence or midfield.
He has not played since the draw against Stoke City on 15 December because of injury but could return to the squad for the trip to Newcastle United on 2 January.
Gibson blow
The injury news is not as promising for Darron Gibson, however, as the Toffees midfielder is expected to be out for a month with a thigh strain.
"I think Gibson is going to be out for about four weeks"
David Moyes
The Republic of Ireland international missed Sunday's 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea and manager David Moyes was on Monday able to put a specific timescale on Gibson's absence, saying: "I think he's going to be out for about four weeks."
The 25-year-old spent more than two months on the sidelines earlier in the season with a similar problem. He missed 10 Barclays Premier League matches as a result and a further absence is a significant blow to Everton as he has been one of their key players since arriving in January.
Another injury is the last thing Moyes needed as he still has Kevin Mirallas (hamstring), Tony Hibbert (calf) and Coleman out, while Phil Neville (knee) had to be rested for the Chelsea match having played two matches in five days on his comeback from surgery.
