Over the past seven years, Coventry City has made a comeback.
The Sky Blues were once a mainstay in the Premier League but had severe problems off the pitch and saw a sharp decline in performance.
One of the best choices the club has ever made was to hire Mark Robins in 2017, and they now find themselves hoping for a play-off finish in the Championship once more.
Since Robins’ appointment, the club has achieved promotion from League Two and League One, as well as lifting the EFL Trophy. Their climb up the leagues began in the 2017/18 campaign as Coventry won the League Two play-off final, subsequently reaching the third tier
A key member of that 2017–18 team was Michael Doyle, a contemporary club legend.
In League Two, the Irishman, who was enjoying his second stint at the club, assisted his team in winning the match.
Doyle was just named manager of Woking, a National League team, marking the start of his football coaching career. Football League World looks back on his playing days, particularly his stint at Coventry City, ahead of his first full season as manager.
When Michael Doyle was younger, he signed his first professional deal with Celtic in 1998. He was loaned to the Danish team AGF Aarhus in 2001, when he appeared in 22 league games and scored four goals.
Doyle had a great loan stint, but when returning to his parent club, he was not given any playing time and eventually left without playing a game.
After completing a trial at Coventry City, the Irishman signed a permanent contract with the team, which proved to be a fantastic decision for all sides.
He had never played in English football previously, but he settled in as Coventry’s starting midfielder despite the Sky Blues being in the second division at the time. He made 40 league games and scored four goals in his debut season in the EFL, so it didn’t take him long to establish himself.
Doyle would go on to become a huge favourite among Sky Blues supporters and become a legend at both the Ricoh Arena and Highfield Road.
Michael Doyle was a dependable asset in the middle of the field under multiple managers for seven and a half years in a row while he was on the Coventry City books. In a Sky Blue uniform, he made slightly under 300 appearances and scored 22 goals.
Doyle took the captaincy of the team several times starting in the 2005–06 season and established himself as a dominant figure in the middle of the park. He would benefit greatly from his leadership abilities for the duration of his career.
During Doyle’s initial seven and a half years at the club, they participated in the Championship and consistently avoided being demoted to League One.
| Michael Doyle’s first spell with Coventry City (League stats), as per transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2010/11 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008/09 | 37 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007/08 | 42 | 7 | 4 |
| 2006/07 | 39 | 3 | 2 |
| 2005/06 | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004/05 | 44 | 2 | 3 |
| 2003/04 | 40 | 5 | 2 |
When it became clear in the summer of 2009 that Doyle would not be playing for the first team at Coventry, he left on loan to Leeds United, a third-tier outfit.
He played for Leeds for more than 50 games and saw them promoted to the Championship, but he was never able to establish himself again in the Coventry team and moved for Sheffield United in January 2011.
Fortunately for Coventry, Doyle would wear the Sky Blue shirt again in the future.
A welcome return to Coventry
Doyle made a stunning comeback to the Midlands, signing with Coventry at the age of 35 after spending four years at Sheffield United and two years at Portsmouth.
He returned with a wealth of experience during a difficult time for Coventry, having just been demoted from League One. Doyle had plenty to offer the Sky Blues when he re-signed because he had just won the League Two championship with Portsmouth.
In the 2017–18 season, Coventry advanced to the play-off final, where they defeated Exeter City 3–1 at Wembley Stadium under Doyle’s leadership.
Throughout the season, the midfielder was a consistent for the Sky Blues and developed into a very important team player. After spending one more season there, he said goodbye in the summer of 2019.
With his 372 appearances, 26 goals, and 20 assists, Michael Doyle is practically a Coventry City icon in the modern period. The Sky Blues will find it difficult to forget him anytime soon.
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