LIFE WILL BE TOUGH IN THE PREM BUT THIS IS WHAT FANS HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT SO ENJOY THE MOMENT

LEGEND WHO HELPED KICK-START CITY'S RISE BACK TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE HAS A MESSAGE FOR THE SUPPORTERS AS HE TAKES PRIDE IN THEIR ASCENT

- By ANDY TURNER

COVENTRY City fans paid a brilliant tribute to former players for their part in the club’s journey back to the Premier League when they went through their full repertoire of songs and chants at Watford as part of their final day celebrations.

Among the names sung loud and proud from the away end at Vicarage Road was that of Michael Doyle, whose return to the club for a second spell in 2017 helped kick-start the rise back up the Football League from the depths of League Two.

Drafted in by Mark Robins, he captained the Sky Blues to their first ever play-offs to get them back to League One as the club never looked back on its upward curve to top flight football. And Doyler couldn’t be happier for the club for which he still holds a great deal of affection, still living in the area and getting to games when he can.

“I didn’t know that but lovely, fair play, that’s great,” he said, on hearing that the Sky Blue Army were singing his song at Watford.

“They’ve obviously come along way and it’s probably a case of they haven’t forgotten where they were. So brilliant, very good.”

He added: “I saw a bit of the parade on the news and it looked brilliant.”

The 44-year-old, who is now first team coach at another of his former clubs, Portsmouth, first joined the Sky Blues in 2003 under Gary McAllister’s management, spending an initial eight years, starting at Highfield Road and then at the Ricoh Arena.

He then got the call from Mark Robins in the summer of 2017 following relegation to the fourth tier to lead the initial charge back up the divisions and, ultimately, a return to top flight football.

“When I went back to the club I didn’t think that was happening any time soon but I always remember when I first spoke to Mark (Robins) he said he wanted to take the club back to the Premier League,” reflected the hardman midfielder, speaking to the Coventry Telegraph.