Coventry City favorite quickly completes transfer after emotional farewell

Former Coventry City midfielder Liam Kelly has signed for League One promotion hopefuls Rotherham United after his seven-year spell at the CBS Arena came to an end. Kelly, 34, has signed a two-year contract at the New York Stadium.

The experienced midfielder made 180 appearances for the Sky Blues in a successful spell which included promotions from League Two and League One and also reached the penalty shoot-out to help City secure promotion to the Premier League in 2023.

Kelly was a mainstay for Mark Robins during the club’s rise up the EFL pyramid, but has found it harder to find minutes in more recent seasons as Robins has continued to develop and improve his squad to compete in the top of the championship.

Remarkably, Kelly becomes Steve Evans’ seventh signing of an incredibly busy summer which has included the signings of Jonson Clarke-Harris, Sean Raggett, Joe Rafferty and Reece James.

Kelly left City along with Simon Moore, Dermi Lusala and Bradley Stretton at the end of their contracts as the club just missed out on the play-offs following their excellent FA Cup campaign. Luis Binks has returned to his parent club, while Luke Bell and Callum O’Hare have been offered new deals.

READ: Championship transfer budgets with City ‘ambitious’ and Leeds ‘forced to sell’

READ: Coventry City hero seals transfer for former Sky Blue on trial at Liverpool

On confirming his departure from the Sky Blues, Kelly said: “The time is right. I’m 34, the club go out and spend money to get players in and they’re trying to get into the Premier League. That’s the direction the club is going and I’m sure they’ll get there eventually, but I’m looking forward to moving on to something else in the summer, getting out there and trying to get something again.

“You can’t stay at a club forever as much as you want. I loved my time here and every single person on that training ground in the building was a part of it. We would not have been able to reach these places and achievements without them, the people, the players, the staff. Everyone has played a part in helping me be at this football and get back to where the club is.”

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