Ireland striker Shane Long used breathing techniques from his wife’s pregnancy to comfort captain Seamus Coleman after his horrific leg break against Wales at the Aviva Stadium on Friday.
Coleman fractured his right tibia and fibula in the second-half of the 0-0 draw in Dublin after a controversial challenge from Wales defender Neil Taylor.
Taylor was immediately dismissed by referee Nicola Rizzoli, but Coleman sat still on the ground after the tackle, clearly in shock after fracturing his leg.
The Irish Independent reports that Long quickly went to comfort Coleman with his wife Kayleah revealing that her husband had used breathing techniques he learned during the pregnancy of their daughter Teigan, to help calm a distressed Coleman.
“I had a hypnotherapy birth and they taught Shane to help me to breathe through it,” Kayleah said in relation to Long’s embrace with Coleman.
“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.”
Kayleagh added that Coleman sent Long a text message after the game to thank him for his support during the immediate aftermath of the injury.
Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill confirmed that surgery on Coleman’s broken leg has been a success, while O’Neill also tipped the Everton defender to get back to his brilliant best after his recovery, which is tentatively scheduled for nine months on the sidelines.
Coleman was taken straight to St Vincent’s University Hospital after the game on Friday before undergoing surgery over the weekend.
O’Neill said: “He had the operation yesterday (Saturday) morning at 8:30am, that was successful. He has realised everything that has happened and is obviously very disappointed.
“It will take some time to heal, it’s a double break but it has been pinned up now and screwed in. I know the doctors and surgeons are all very, very pleased with the way the operation has gone and now it’s time for recuperation.
“I saw him the evening of the injury, he was fairly groggy. It’s a devastating blow for the lad, he was having a phenomenal season at his club and a phenomenal season for us as captain.”