Modern football is a world away from what the game was during previous generations. As the money in the sport has increased, so has the distance between between the players and the fans.
That is true in both a figurative and literal sense.
The wages earned by footballers are now well beyond what most regular members of the public could even dream of, meaning it is often difficult to relate to those they go and see play for their favourite team every weekend.
That distance is also growing in a more literal way. Many players now often to live in affluent suburbs outside the cities they represent, spending very little time in and among the fans during their everyday lives. While they do this in order to avoid the public eye, it often results in losing some of that connection that had been present in a bygone era.
Seamus Coleman advises players to go out and meet fans
Seamus Coleman is someone who knows only too well how much their football club means to supporters.
He has been at Everton for almost a decade-and-a-half, arriving as an unknown prospect from Sligo Rovers only to then go on to establish himself as club captain and a beloved figure among their fans.
Of course, things have not gone to plan for Everton on the pitch over the last couple of years. They have found themselves involved in Premier League relegation battles for each of the last two seasons.
The tension in Goodison Park towards the latter end of those campaigns was palpable. However, unlike some players, fans do not leave those emotions behind when they leave the ground. It impact their day to day lives, something that footballers would be well served to remember.
Speaking in his role as Spar ambassador, Coleman summed up why it is so important for Premier League players to get in and amongst the local community when playing at a club.
I live in the city and I know what it means to the fans. All the Premier League clubs and Premier League players could do with walking around the city of where their club is now and again and getting a feel of the club that you play for.
I was out walking with the kids or whatever the case may be towards the end of last season and you would have all sorts of people coming up to you. They're not giving you a hard time whatsoever, but you could genuinely see the love, passion, and emotion they have for their football club, and the desperation at times.
They live it, it's their life. You have to have an understanding of that. If you want to play for a football club, you've got to understand what the football club means to the people.
Ultimately, they're the most important. They spend their money, go and follow it from young. I think a lot of clubs and players could do with walking around the city of where their club is sometimes.
Now, we as Premier League footballers can isolate ourselves from reality at times. It's important for me and I learned a lot from meeting people when I'm walking with my kids about what it means to the people.
Unfortunately, Everton could well find themselves in a similar position once again this season. While there was optimism that the presence of Sean Dyche would ensure that they avoided a relegation battle, their performances in the opening two fixtures of the season suggest that it could be another long campaign.
Coleman himself is unable to contribute on the pitch at the moment, still being eight weeks or so away from recovering from the major injury he suffered towards the end of last season.
In saying that, he is keen to get across to his teammates that they cannot depend on a late survival tilt as they have done in the last couple of years.
I've learned that a lot myself in the last couple of years.
Without naming names of teams that could be involved in relegation battles that we were in the last couple of years. You realise how important it is when you play those teams home and away. It's such a big, big game and it might be a massive game in November, not just in April time with four games to go that you're all getting up for it.
It's about putting importance on all the games, which we do, of course we do, but we have to pick up points. I have to emphasise how tough this league is and you've got no God given right to stay in the league. I've said that all the time. You've got to earn it.
At the same time, we're two games in, the window is not closed. It's not panic buttons yet but there has to be a massive awareness that we can't let this keep going.
Coleman's presence in the Everton dressing room is hugely important, even if he is not playing at the moment.
They will need his leadership if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation dogfight for the third consecutive campaign.
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Seamus Coleman, Republic of Ireland captain, today launched SPAR’s Better Choices Back to School campaign, which aims to help families to make healthier choices as they prepare to get back to school. To win a SPAR Better Choices Little Chefs cooking kit children are being asked to share a picture of their own healthy recipe. SPAR recipes can be found on www.spar.ie with details of how to enter the competition.
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