COVENTRY COACH ASKS REDA TO PROVE HIS FITNESS

Head coach of Coventry City FC, Tony Mowbray, challenges powerhouse defender Reda Johnson to prove his fitness.


The Sky Blues boss insists he has left the door ajar for the player to continue his career at the club. He says the player would to prove his fitness before he entertained the possibility of offering him fresh terms at the Ricoh Arena.

Mowbray included the 28-year-old centre-half in his clear-out of ten out-of-contract players on Monday but the Benin international will complete his rehabilitation from a season-ending muscle tear at Ryton and is welcome to join pre-season training if he hasn’t found himself another club by the time the squad reports back in July. The manager said:

“The possibility is still there and Reda knows that.

“Reda needs to get fit and go to the market and if there are clubs there who are willing to pay him what he thinks he’s worth then good luck to him. There’s no offer on the table. He has to get fit first.

“He is going to train here and work until he’s fit to play and if he needs to he’ll join in the pre-season. It depends how long it’s going to take him to get fit.

“At this moment he’s not sure. He’s been training for a good month or so but he just needs to get the power back in his hamstring. The muscle has healed and he needs to get the power and get the nerves working and mobilised again.

“We’re happy to do that for him, allow him to continue his rehabilitation and then he has to prove some sort of fitness. So if it is then going through pre-season and he wants to do that here I am not averse to that and then on the back of that we will see.”

“I can’t get bitten twice by the same dog, if that makes any sense. Even though when he’s playing he’s a fantastic football player, definitely at this level. That’s the scenario and the fact that he’s been released doesn’t mean we wouldn’t covet his services again at some stage.

“First and foremost he has to get fit and then he has the whole world to look and see if anyone will give him a contract. Let’s see.”