Sideways Sammy

The final paragraph of Liam Kelly’s story with Coventry City is in view, a player who has made a sizeable contribution to the club’s rise from its lowest point. From injecting the team with the professionalism required to get out of League Two, leading younger players out of League One, and then helping establish the Sky Blues in the Championship, Kelly has been the one player who has constantly adapted and made himself available for pretty much every step of the rise. As he showed last season when coming in from the cold for the final games of the play-off run-in, Liam Kelly’s professionalism, experience and calmness under pressure can still prove effective amid the significant rise in quality brought into the Coventry squad in recent years.

The last three seasons have seen Liam Kelly’s prominence at Coventry City tail-off through a combination of injuries and the increased calibre of competition in central midfield. From one of the first names on the team-sheet to 18 starts in three years, it has been apparent for a while that Liam Kelly’s time with the Sky Blues has been up. Nonetheless, Kelly has been patient in waiting for opportunities to get on the pitch and been able to play in his usual, calm but physical manner to be able to make contributions when called upon. The lack of mobility and quality on the ball have become increasingly apparent, but Kelly can find ways, with the right structure around him, to make the most of his limitations as an ageing midfielder operating at probably a level above his technical ability.

Reaching 150 league games for the club across three different divisions – which could well have been four had it not been for a penalty shoot-out defeat last May – is an achievement that should be celebrated. While last summer, just after one big contribution, might have provided the perfect note for Liam Kelly to go out on in a Sky Blue shirt, he hasn’t exactly disgraced himself in picking up a handful more appearances this season. An impeccable professional who looks all but certain for a good career in coaching when he hangs up his boots, Kelly helped transform this football club from the joke it once was to the subject of envy it is in some quarters today.