Sideways Sammy

It feels like there isn’t much left to write about Milan van Ewijk that hasn’t already been written. Consistently excellent from pretty much the moment he signed for the club, Coventry City have simply not had to worry about the right-back position for the last three years. Milan van Ewijk can be relied upon to mark his opposing winger out of the game, retain possession comfortably and get forward to contribute in the final third. Undoubtedly a player deserving to play at a higher-level, it feels pretty satisfying that he will do so with Coventry, having looked to have been on the verge of a transfer away last summer.

Milan van Ewijk’s pace is one of his key qualities, but it doesn’t completely define his game. While it is handy for the Dutchman to have that extra burst of acceleration to catch up to opponents defensively or burst past them going forward, he is an intelligent and skilled enough player not to completely rely on it. His positional ability and timing in the challenge makes him an especially hard full-back to beat, while his technique means he doesn’t have to surge past players to get into good attacking positions and produce a final ball. A key area of improvement this year has been in finding greater accuracy with his deliveries from out wide, which is why he is currently the team’s top assister.

One of a couple of players in this Coventry City team where there is little doubt that he is capable of making the step up, that is because Milan van Ewijk has been a Premier League quality player for almost the entirety of his time at the club. That he continues to find areas of his game to improve is a testament to his professionalism and he is someone who will not only adapt to a higher quality of football but probably find further levels to his game. One of the smartest pieces of business the club has made over the past few years, Van Ewijk has been an essential part of the club becoming ready for top-flight football.