8 ex-Coventry City players we had no idea are still playing
FLW looks checks in on eight former Sky Blues we thought had hung up their boots.
Coventry City certainly feel like a club on an upwards trajectory at present.
Despite having missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season in the play-off final, their steady ascent through the divisions has been impressive, and they continue to improve year on year.
Under new owner Doug King, and current boss Mark Robins, the club appear to be in very good hands indeed.
Putting the club at present aside for the moment, though, we’re looking at some former Sky Blues in this article.
Not just any Sky Blues, though, but ones that we thought had retired, or were so out of sight that we’d forgotten they were still playing.
Naturally, these players are all well into their thirties at least, with the eldest player to feature on the list being 45-years-old.
To help us do this, we used Transfermarkt, which keeps track of the club’s former players.
With that said, here are eight former Coventry City players that we are surprised are still knocking about and playing football at one level or another.
One Coventry City player that we cannot believe is still playing – and at quite a decent level too – is goalkeeper Joe Murphy.
Murphy joined the Sky Blues way back in 2011 on a free transfer from Scunthorpe United, and would go on to remain at the club for three seasons.
During that time, he racked up a huge number of appearances, though, turning out 156 times for the Sky Blues.
These days, Murphy finds himself on the books at League Two side Tranmere Rovers, although he seems far from first choice.
Last season, for example, he made just seven league appearances for the club, and so far this campaign, he has yet to feature.
Nevertheless, to still be playing professionally at 42 is some achievement.
Dropping down in levels quite dramatically for the next player on this list, William Edjenguele is another former Sky Blues player we are surprised is still playing football.
Edjenguele only spent one season at Coventry City, joining on a free transfer from Greek side Panetolikos before leaving the club for Bury on a free the following summer.
During his one season, Edjenguele made 40 appearances for the Sky Blues.
His time in Coventry was short-lived, then, but clearly something about the area struck him, with the 36-year-old playing for Coventry Sphinx these days, as per Transfermarkt.
Aron Gunnarsson is another former Coventry City player that we forgot was still playing.
That is likely because he is playing outside of England over in Qatar.
Indeed, the Icelandic international plays for Al-Arabi SC, who play in the Qatari top-flight.
Gunnarsson made a total of 133 appearances for Coventry City during his time at the club, which just happened to be at the start of his career.
Indeed, he had made just one professional appearance for AZ Alkmaar before joining the Sky Blues back in 2008.
Gunnarsson would depart after three seasons, joining Cardiff City in 2011.
Norwegian left-back Runar Normann is another Sky Blues player kicking about despite being in his 40’s.
In fact, Normann is currently 45-years-old, and will be 46 in March.
As per Transfermarkt, Normann currently plays in his homeland for Harstad IL.
The club finished 12th in the third tier, group six in Norway last season.
Normann didn’t feature massively for Coventry, it must be said, making just 13 league appearances for the club between 1999 and 2003.
Former Sky Blues defender Calum Davenport is another player still active on the pitch.
According to Transfermarkt, the 40-year-old currently plays for Tavistock FC.
Given the level that Tavistock plays at, detailed statistics are not available.
Davenport, of course, began his career with Coventry City, coming through the youth ranks at the club and going on to make 83 appearances.
Eventually, he would move on and join West Ham United, and also go on to play for the likes of Spurs, Norwich and Southampton, among others.
Davenport also earned England youth international caps during his playing days.
Up next on this list of Coventry City players we can’t believe are still playing is another player in his 40’s – Marcus Tudgay.
The centre-forward turned 40 back in February, but still turns out in non-league according to Transfermarkt.
Indeed, the website has Tudgay as featuring for South Normanton Athletic.
He has reportedly been there for quite some time, too, having joined in 2017.
Funnily enough, that was the year that Tudgay left Coventry City, having been a Sky Blue from 2014 up until then.
During his time with the Sky Blues, Tudgay played 85 matches for the club, scoring 13 goals during that period of his career.
Another centre-forward to feature on this list of former Coventry City players we’re surprised are still playing is Luke Steele.
The 38-year-old had two loan spells at Coventry during the early stages of his career, joining from Manchester United in September 2004 for the season, and then again in July 2006, but he would return just a couple of months after that time due to injury.
In total, Steele featured 43 times for the Sky Blues.
These days, Transfermarkt has Steele playing in non-league, like a few others on this list, for National League North side Peterborough Sports.
Last but certainly not least, the final player on this list is former Coventry City man Richard Wood.
The 38-year-old centre-back currently plays in League Two for Doncaster Rovers.
He is still featuring regularly despite being in his late 30’s, too, and is, in fact, the club captain.
Wood joined Coventry on a loan deal in November 2009, before eventually making the permanent switch to the Sky Blues from Sheffield Wednesday in January 2010.
He would remain at the club until July 2013, when he departed for Charlton Athletic.
During his time at Coventry, Wood made 134 appearances, scoring a respectable nine goals from central defence.
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