Coventry City old boy news from CoventryLive as we take a look at what four senior players who departed the CBS Arena are doing now
Romain Esse of Coventry City scores a goal and celebrates 1-0.
Former City loan winger Romain Esse is now at Millwall(Image: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock)
Coventry City said good-bye to just four first team players in the summer, two permanent signings and two who’d joined the club on half season loan spells.
One is now sadly unemployed, another has stepped up a division to provide back-up, the third is battling for match minutes and the fourth has moved abroad in search of game time.
Here’s a round-up of the players who left the CBS Arena last summer...
Jamie Allen
Released by the Sky Blues at the end of his contract, bringing an end to a seven year spell at the CBS Arena, the 31-year-old midfielder has been training with his home-town club Rochdale to stay fit as he looks for another club.
Having not managed to find himself a new employer as a free agent, Allen has expressed his surprise and disappointment at not finding anything so far - a view also held by Frank Lampard who holds the player in high regard in terms of his ability and professionalism.
Brad Collins
The 29-year-old goalkeeper finally left Coventry in the summer following an impressive year on loan at League One Burton Albion, for whom he made 42 appearances in total during the 2025/26 campaign. As a free agent, however, he jumped back to the Championship to join Bristol City in the summer. He’s currently understudy to first choice Sam Tickle and been on the bench as an unused sub in all of the Robins’ opening nine matches in league and cup.
Luton Town's Shandon Baptiste celebrates scoring as Coventry City goalkeeper Brad Collins holds his head in his hands
Not his finest hour - former City goalkeeper Brad Collins holds his head in his hands after conceding at Luton
Romain Esse
The 21-year-old winger who made eight starts and nine appearances from the bench, and scoring two goals in the Championship for the Sky Blues during his half season loan spell from Crystal Palace, was redirected to his former club Millwall in the summer on a season-long loan.
He’s played three games to date this term for the Lions, with whom he started his professional career, first starting in a 4-0 victory over Bolton when he was taken off on 65 minutes. He then lasted just over an hour in a 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat by Newcastle United at The Den before getting the hook at half-time in a 4-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers back in the league.
Yang Min-hyeok
The 20-year-old winger will go down as one of the more disappointing loan signings the Sky Blues have made in the modern era, given that he joined in January last year and managed just three Championship appearances from the bench after his one and only start, against Stoke City in the FA Cup.
Switching from relegation battling Portsmouth midway through the campaign, the Tottenham prospect didn’t even make Lampard’s matchday squad in the end. The South Korean has since gone out on loan again, this time to the Belgian Pro League club Westerlo, where he plays with Sky Blues loan striker Norman Bassette.
So far, however, he’s only featured twice off the bench in defeats to Genk and Lommel but is currently representing his country in the 2026 Asia Games.
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Coventry City writer Andy Turner
Coventry City writer Andy Turner
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