Throughout the history of the club, Coventry City fans have been wowed by a number of foreign imports. In more recent times, the likes of Viktor Gyökeres has been adored by fans before he left the club to join Sporting Lisbon, while club legends like Mustapha Hadji and Youssef Chippo are still being raved about my more senior supporters these days. MLS players have also made their mark at the club, with many also shining in American football.
Of course, the difference between English football and American soccer is vast in terms of the overall standard, but players have transitioned between the two in the past. The home of American football, where fans bet using the latest NFL odds, plus basketball, where icons like Michael Jordan were born, hasn’t completely bought into the beautiful game yet. Some former Sky Blues players have certainly tried to make their mark on the game over there, though, with many doing well for the clubs they turned out for. Below is a look at just some of them.
Darren Huckerby
Kicking things off with Darren Huckerby, an attacking player who was almost impossible to contain on his day. As Coventry City fans witnessed during his three years at the club, Huckerby had bags of ability. The devastating winger also managed to achieve some success in America while plying his trade for the San Jose Earthquakes, with Huckerby being widely regarded as one of the best players in the competition at that particular time. He even managed to back it up by being named the 2008 MLS Newcomer of the Year award in his first season in American soccer, although injuries soon hindered his progress. Overall, though, Earthquakes fans fondly remember the former Sky Blues goal-getter.
Cobi Jones
Playing for the club between 1994 and 1995, Cobi Jones’ career at Coventry City didn’t go as smoothly as he might’ve hoped for. His big move to England resulted in limited playing time compared to many of his teammates, although that was perhaps down to the player himself. Jones had ability, but he struggled to showcase it on a regular basis after making a name for himself at the 1994 World Cup. Jones eventually departed England for Brazilian side Vasco da Gama before returning to his homeland and standing out for LA Galaxy between 1996 and 2007. Ask most LA Galaxy fans about Cobi Jones and they’ll definitely remember the combative midfielder.
Chris Birchall
After standing out for boyhood club Port Vale, Coventry made their move for midfielder Chris Birchall. While his Sky Blues career didn’t exactly go to plan, Birchall did have some undoubted potential for the club to unlock. In the end, though, the former Trinidad and Tobago international ended up in America playing for the likes of LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew, before eventually returning to where it all started with Port Vale. Birchall’s best spell in his career was clearly at the Los Angeles-based football club, though, with the tidy midfield player being adored by fans there.
Robbie Keane
Known for being an undoubtedly talented forward player who loved to score goals and celebrate them with his trademark cartwheel, Robbie Keane only lasted a season at Coventry but his quality was evident almost every week. Keane’s solid career turning out for the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham has been well documented, although many people forget about his fruitful spell playing for LA Galaxy. The former Ireland international scored 83 goals in 125 appearances for the club, with Galaxy fans still regarding the former goal machine as one of their finest-ever imports.
Article written by Jack Mcnumiskey
