Cov Kid could be an ECC of a player!
ECCLES FOLLOWS WELL-TRODDEN PATH FOR CITY’S HOMEGROWN ACADEMY STARS
WITH 12 Coventry City appearances to his name so far, Josh Eccles is arguably closer to the first team than any of the club’s Under-23s looking to bridge what can sometimes be a huge gap to senior football.
The 20-year-old Cov Kid is hoping to follow a well trodden path of homegrown talents to make it at their hometown club.
Joining the Sky Blues Academy at primary school age, the central midfielder is held in high regard by the coaching staff at the club, and progressing nicely under Luke Tisdale’s guidance in the development squad, as well as being included in the senior squad. Part of his transition was to be invited into the first team dressing room earlier this season, as well as being included as part of the manager’s wider travelling squad to a number of away games.
“I have been in the first team changing room this season, which is a massive step for me,” he said.
“I just want to keep getting in and around the first team, on the bench and travelling to the away games with the lads.
“They treat me nicely and it’s a special place to be at the minute.”
Mark Robins clearly trusts the young player who was handed a place on the bench on the opening day of the League One campaign against Southend United, and given his league debut 11 minutes from time in the 1-0 St Andrew’s win, replacing another ‘one of our own,’ Jordan Shipley. A regular in City’s EFL Trophy campaign, Eccles was handed another taste of league football in the dying minutes against Bristol Rovers before being handed his senior league debut in the 2-1 win over Rochdale in November, having started against Premier League Watford in the EFL Cup and twice featuring from the bench in the FA Cup.
But the defensive midfielder knows he has to bide his time before making his breakthrough on a more regular basis.
“I have just got to be patient,” he said.
“If you look at the people in my positions, there’s Liam Kelly who is the captain and Liam Walsh who has been outstanding this season, so you can’t really complain.
‘“Maybe in another season it could be different so I have just got to be patient and keep doing what I am doing and see what happens.
“You have to keep on your toes and keep pushing the players in front of you because you never know what can happen. If there’s an injury you have to be ready to take your chance when it comes.”
He added: “I have learned a lot this season, especially watching Championship players like Walshy and Callum O’hare who is from a Premier League club. It’s been a massive success for me with the amount of games I have got and I am just really grateful for that experience.”
Asked about the prospect of promotion, which is just ten games from City’s grasp, he said: “It will be a dream come true.
“Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to play Championship and Premiership football and now we are just so close.
“There are ten cup final matches to go and I am just hoping for the best.”
Asked if he thinks the current team is good enough to compete in the second tier next season, he said: “Definitely.
“You look at every starting 11 and on the bench as well you have got players capable of being in the Championship. They have all got different skills.”
He added: “I’m a Cov lad, just from down the road from the Higgs. “I have been at the club since the age of seven and supported it from birth!
“If we get promotion I’ll be the happiest person in the world.” Getting up, however, might make it harder for younger players to break through. “Definitely,” he agreed.
“But if the gaffer believes in you then he believes in you, so I have just got to keep pushing to get in his eyesight and try to do my best.
“And if you’re good enough you’ll get an opportunity.”
If the gaffer believes in you then he believes in you, so I have just got to keep pushing to get in his eyesight.
Josh Eccles