Coventry midfielder on shopping list

Last updated : 14 July 2003 By Tony Scholes

The player in question is the Sky Blues former skipper John Eustace, a player who is not involved on their current pre-season tour of Germany.

The 23 year-old Eustace, two loan spells apart, has been with Coventry for his entire career to date and captained the side in the Premiership under the management of Gordon Strachan. But a knee injury halted his progress and he missed much of the 2001/02 season as Coventry returning only for the last few games.

Last season though saw him very much back in the squad and he came close to a move back to the Premiership when the transfer window opened in January. He signed for Middlesbrough on a month’s loan. It was with a view to a permanent signing but with injured players returning he made only one short substitute appearance at Anfield before returning to Highfield Road.

His previous loan spell was as a 19 year-old and still to make his Coventry debut. He spent three months with Dundee United featuring in thirteen Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup games.

He first appearance against the Clarets was in the FA Cup game in 2000 when he came on as a last minute substitute for the now Unprofessionals manager Carlton Palmer. A week later he made his Premiership debut playing the full ninety minutes in a 2-0 home win against Wimbledon.

Times are a changing at Coventry and already Jay Bothroyd has been allowed to leave, signing for Italian Serie A club Perugia. We hear that they would not stand in Eustace’s way if he chose to join the Clarets.