Robins needs to hold on to Cov Kid Gael
MARK Robins has already started turning his attention to next season and how he’s going to re-build the Coventry City squad he inherited last month.
That process will have started on day one, of course, as he began to assess what he’d got and, over the ensuing weeks, who he’d like to keep.
His pool of players includes 12 seniors who are out of contract, five who have another year left on their current deals, one of whom has two years left, three who are tied up until 2020 and four loan players who will be heading back to their parent clubs this summer.
Of the 12 who are nearing the end of their time with the Sky Blues, there’s one name that stands out as a “must have” next season, Gael Bigirimana.
Bizarrely overlooked by Russell Slade, the 23-year-old has earned rave reviews since returning to the side with a consistent run of form that has seen him pick up numer- ous man of the match awards and, last weekend, two of Player of the Season gongs from the Former Players’ Association and the London Supporters’ Club.
The London vote is a particularly interesting one. It’s a long-standing award – celebrating its 40th year this term – and, as such, a prestigious one in the annual presentation period. It’s unique in that the votes are cast over the course of the season, with each member voting for a first, second and third choice after each match.
Bigirimana received a record number of votes, despite missing several games in January and February under Slade.
He was the CCLSC members man of the match on 13 occasions, which is more than double that of any other player, and voted in the top three in over 20 games.
And he has to be one of the front-runners, one would imagine, for the club’s official Player of the Year title, along with fellow Wembley heroes George Thomas and Lee Burge – both of whom have also scooped two fan awards apiece and, like Bigi, are also out of contract this summer and will almost certainly be in the manager’s thoughts.
But Bigirimana is the one the club really do need to push the boat out to keep.
One of the lowest paid senior players in the squad, the adopted Cov Kid deserves to be offered a competitive salary to make him want to stay with the club he loves.
He’ll have options: plenty of offers to stay in League One, no doubt, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s caught the eye of a few Championship scouts after showcasing his quality at the national stadium earlier this month.
Having just become a dad for the first time, his responsibilities to his family will be in sharper focus and he’ll be determined to make the most of his talents. But his heart is at the club where he grew up and that club has to find room within its budget to satisfy his needs, for the time being at least.
If he’s offered, and signs, a long-term deal, he’ll be an asset, of course, and if he continues to develop his early Academy potential he’ll be a wanted man and, inevitably, get a move to a higher division in due course anyway.
But wouldn’t it be good to see him go on that journey with the Sky Blues, to be part of something special under Robins, helping the club bounce back at the first attempt and then kick-on again?
To that end, he needs to be made to feel wanted. He needs reasons to stay other than his close bond with City.
He’s the sort of player Robins can build a side around.
He makes the team tick, gets the ball moving and influences play all over the pitch, whether it’s making a tackle, playing the right pass or clearing off the line.
He’s matured a lot in recent years, become a voice in the dressing room and is clearly captain material.
Current skipper Jordan Willis was a wanted man in January and if he ends up being sold this summer, Bigirimana would be an ideal candidate to take on the armband.
And what’s more, he’d thrive with that added respon- sibility on and off the pitch.
This shouldn’t be another John Fleck scenario where City cannot compete to keep him. If he has Championship or top end League One suitors, Robins will clearly struggle to match their wages and ambition, but if we’re talking mid to low end League One interest, then the club has to make it worth his while to stay.
What they can’t do is let another Player of the Year slip from their grasp.