In hindsight, Coventry City should never have let go of these 3 ex-academy player
We looked at three former academy players Coventry City may regret
Coventry City has made significant changes to their squad in order to challenge for promotion in the Championship this season.
The club has invested in the transfer market to replace key players who left this summer, including breaking their transfer record for the signing of Haji Wright.
While the recruitment drive may limit opportunities for young players, Coventry’s academy continues to produce promising talent, with James Maddison and Callum Wilson being notable examples of successful academy graduates.
Coventry City will be hoping to challenge for promotion once again in the Championship this season.
The Sky Blues enjoyed an excellent campaign last season as they reached the play-off final, but they were beaten by Luton Town on penalties at Wembley in May.
Coventry lost two key players in Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer this summer, with the pair joining Sporting Lisbon and Sheffield United respectively, but owner Doug King has provided manager Mark Robins with significant backing in the transfer market to replace them.
The Sky Blues broke their transfer record to sign USA international Haji Wright from Antalyaspor, while they also brought in Jay Dasilva, Ellis Simms, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Brad Collins, Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Milan van Ewijk, Liam Kitching, Luis Binks and Yasin Ayari.
Coventry’s recruitment drive may limit the opportunities for young players in the first team this season, but the academy is once again producing exciting talent.
Midfielder James Maddison, who completed a big money move from Leicester City to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, began his career at the club, while Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson is another high-profile academy graduate.
As Coventry were in League One at the time of Maddison and Wilson’s departures, there is little they could have done to prevent the duo moving on, but we looked back at some of the academy products the Sky Blues may regret not keeping hold of.
Jonson Clarke-Harris
Clarke-Harris became Coventry’s youngest-ever player when he was introduced as a substitute in the EFL Cup against Morecambe in August 2010 aged 16 years and 20 days, but his first team opportunities were limited and he was released by the club in 2012.
The striker then had spells with Peterborough United, Southend United, Bury, Oldham Athletic, Rotherham United, MK Dons and Doncaster Rovers before returning to the Sky Blues on loan in January 2018, making the deal permanent that summer after helping the club to promotion from League Two.
But Clarke-Harris was again allowed to leave Coventry as he joined Bristol Rovers in January 2019 and it was at the Memorial Stadium where he discovered his form, scoring 27 goals in 49 appearances for the Gas.
He returned to Peterborough in 2020 and he has maintained his reputation as one of the most prolific goalscorers in League One, finishing as the third tier’s joint-top scorer last season with 26 goals, but he has also proven he can perform in the Championship having netted 12 for Posh as they were relegated in the 2021-22 campaign.
Whether Clarke-Harris would be able to score the goals to fire Coventry into the Premier League is uncertain, but having seen how his career has developed, they may be regret letting him go not just once, but twice.
Josh Ruffels
Ruffels made just two appearances for the Sky Blues before being released in 2013.
The 29-year-old joined Oxford United following his departure from the club and he enjoyed a hugely successful eight-year spell at the Kassam Stadium, winning promotion from League Two and reaching the League One play-offs with the U’s on two occasions.
Ruffels made the step up to the Championship with Huddersfield Town in July 2021 and while his game time was limited in his first season at the club, he scored three goals in 33 appearances last season as the Terriers secured Championship survival under Neil Warnock.
He offers useful versatility with an ability to play at left-back or in midfield and he has clearly impressed Warnock, who handed him a new two-year contract this summer.
Dean Kiely
One player who has retired that Coventry may regret letting go of is former goalkeeper Kiely.
Kiely progressed through the Sky Blues academy, but he never made a first team appearance and after a loan spell with York City, he joined the Minstermen permanently in May 1990.
The 52-year-old would go on to make 759 appearances during an excellent career, playing for the likes of Bury, Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth, Luton Town and West Bromwich Albion, with many of those games coming in the Premier League, while he also represented the Republic of Ireland at international level.
Coventry have had some good goalkeepers over the years, but they may be wondering what might have been had they given Kiely more of an opportunity between the sticks.
