#INSERT type:image caption:Roberto Martinez says Seamus Coleman is 'an important player' for Everton. END#
LIVERPOOL -- Everton manager Roberto Martinez has insisted Seamus Coleman can fulfil his potential at Goodison Park, despite Denis Irwin's claim that the full-back needs to move on.
Former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland defender Irwin said Coleman had to join a club playing regularly in top European competition if he was to become world-class.
Martinez has regularly dismissed the chances of Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal signing the 26-year-old.
He said he believed that Republic of Ireland international Coleman, who signed a five-year contract in June, could be a key figure for Everton in the next few years.
"I still think that Seamus Coleman can develop and progress with Everton," he explained. "The good thing about a player such as Seamus is that he's been growing over the years, but I still feel that now he's got a bigger role to play in his career.
"He's become important in a team that we want to grow in order to achieve big things as well. Sometimes that's better than going to a club in Europe where you're not guaranteed to play.
"At the moment, Seamus Coleman is enjoying his football. The way he's performing, he's becoming an important player. This is the best place for him to develop his potential.
"He's a world-class footballer, which he showed from the way he performed last season."