Shane Long helped Seamus Coleman with breathing techniques from wife's pregnancy
Monday 27 March 2017 17:35, UK
Republic of Ireland forward Shane Long used breathing techniques from his wife's pregnancy to help Seamus Coleman deal with the horrific double leg break he suffered on Friday night.
The Everton full-back underwent surgery on Saturday to pin the tibia and fibula in his right leg after Wales defender Neil Taylor's challenge during the 0-0 World Cup qualifier draw in Dublin left him in agony and his season over.
Surgeons are confident the 28-year-old will make a full recovery, and Ireland team-mate Long was first to help out his stricken colleague on the Aviva Stadium's pitch.
"I had a hypnotherapy birth and they taught Shane to help me to breathe through it," Long's wife Kayleah told Ireland's Sunday Independent.
"He told me: 'It all came back to me. I was just talking to Seamus, teaching him how to breathe through it.' He remembered it all.
"I asked if Seamus was listening to him and he said, 'Yes, to be fair, he was. He was really breathing well."
Derby's Cyrus Christie replaced Coleman on Friday evening but, handed a chance to stake his claim for the right-back spot in the skipper's absence, admitted he also found it difficult to deal with psychologically.
"That's not the way you want to come on," Christie said ahead of Tuesday night's friendly against Iceland at the Aviva Stadium.
"When they were telling me to warm up, I didn't even move. I was in shock when I saw his leg. It wasn't nice.
"It's tough. You don't want to come on in a game like that, especially when that's just happened. I think everyone in the stadium was in shock."
