King Given The Number 9 Shirt
Last updated : 24 September 2010 By Covsupport News Service/RD
Coventry City's newest striker Marlon King will wear the number nine shirt, but will not be guaranteed a starting place in the side.
The squad number nine has been left unused since the departure of Leon Best to Newcastle last January.
The 30 year old King, who officially signed for the Sky Blues last Monday after a long and protracted period of uncertainty, is hoping to be in Aidy Boothroyd's starting eleven on Saturday when City take on Preston North End at The Ricoh.
However King will have to wait and see if Boothroyd will select the controversial striker after the City boss hinted that King might not even be in the squad.
Boothroyd was asked if King is fit and ready to start playing competitive football after being out of action for over a year, nine months of which were spent n prison.
"Yes he can play straight away," replied Boothroyd. "He has been here for the last four or five weeks and working hard and he could go straight into the team, if selected, but he's in good shape and it has been a very long ongoing saga during which I have certainly picked up a few more wrinkles along the way, but I am sure it will all be worth it in the end."
"He's played two or three reserve games for us so it will take time for him to get to match sharpness but he is looking very, very lively and is as fit as he was at Watford."
" He has not lost his finishing touch and his ability to get in between and ruffle feathers, and now he can put everything behind him and focus totally on Coventry City, on scoring and making goals, but he has got to get in the team first."
"He's looking forward to kicking a ball again in front of a crowd and playing for points because that's what he does best. All the way through he has been thinking about playing football again and because of that he is calm and happy and enjoying what he is doing."
