Stats Zone Premier League Full-Back of the Season 2013/14: Seamus Coleman (Everton)
The modern full-back is an altogether different beast to the technically-limited winger-basher of yesteryear - now any right or left-back worth his salt must be able to make a discernable impact at both ends of the pitch, and that's certainly reflected in the winner of this year's award.
There was tough competition from Arsenal's Bacary Sagna, Chelsea's occasional centre-back Branislav Ivanovic, Crystal Palace's highly impressive top-flight debutant Joel Ward and last year's winner, Everton's Leighton Baines, but in the end there was little argument that the man on the other side of the Toffees' back four, Seamus Coleman, wasn't the best Premier League full-back of 2013/14.
Perhaps the most eye-catching thing about Coleman's performances for the Goodison Park outfit this season was how often he found himself in a goal-scoring position in the opposition penalty area. Rarely does a full-back move into such areas with such abandon, and five of his six goals (three scored with his right foot, three with his left) were struck from within the 18-yard box.
That's not to say the Donegal-born right-back wasn't defensively solid - he made just one error leading to a goal-scoring chance for the opposition all season - but he was encouraged to bomb forward at every opportunity, providing real width and energy down the Toffees' right flank.
Aside from the six goals he scored in the Premier League - a figure bettered only by Liverpool's Martin Skrtel, as far as defenders are concerned - he also provided two assists, while creating 43 goal-scoring chances for team-mates.
He also dribbled past opposition players 64 times - more than any other defender - and had the second best pass completion ratio of any Premier League full-back.
The Irishman has shown glimpses of his talent ever since arriving on Merseyside from Sligo Rovers in 2009, but 2013/14 was perhaps the first season he maintained such high performance levels for such a prolonged period.
Coleman started 2013/14 with a bang, scoring one and creating another in Everton's opening day 2-2 draw at Norwich. It was a performance that summed up his all-action style. He also created a further two chances that went unconverted, and showed his defensive worth with three interceptions and a tackle.
More recently, he shone in the Toffees 2-0 win over Manchester United - the final nail in David Moyes Old Trafford coffin. He surged forwards to create five chances for his team-mates - one of which was the fine slide-rule pass that played in Kevin Mirallas to score the Toffees' second.
He may not have made as big a defensive contribution as some of his rival right-backs (his interceptions, blocks and clearances totalled 182, compared to Branislav Ivanovic's 242, and Bacary Sagna's 255), but his overall contribution to his team was almost unquestionably greater.
Have spent the last few seasons in the rather long shadow of left-back Leighton Baines, 2013/14 was the year Coleman finally broke out and became one of Everton's star turns, rather than just part of the supporting cast.
Stats Zone Premier League Goalkeeper of 2013/14
Stats Zone Premier League Centre-Back of 2013/14
Stats Zone Premier League Central Midfielder of 2013/14
Stats Zone Premier League Attacking Midfielder of 2013/14
Stats Zone Premier League Striker of 2013/14
Stats Zone Premier League Young Player of 2013/14
Stats Zone Premier League Player of 2013/14
