Having joined Coventry City in the summer in a bid to bring some experience to a youthful side, Kevin Kilbane has recently found himself more on the side lines rather than in the thick of the action.
During his absence because of a sore hamstring, Kilbane has dropped down manager Mark Robins’ pecking order. Apart from being unavailable due to injury, Robins has also brought in players on loan who, along with the youngsters already at the club mean that competition for places in the starting line-up is fierce.
Kilbane was made club captain when he joined the club but now that role is up for grabs as Robins searches for the right player to take on the responsibility. The captain needs to be playing regularly but Kilbane admits he is past his best and can’t manage to keep up with the rigorous schedule.
The 35 year old featured in the opening eleven games of the season but missed the Capital One Cup defeat at Arsenal and the league game at Oldham because of his sore hamstring, but even though he has recovered and is training full time he cannot recapture his place in the team.
He was named on the bench for Tuesday’s game at Brentford and was used as a second half substitute. Robins has told Kilbane that he does have a future at Coventry and the former Irish international defender is happy with that.
He told the Coventry Telegraph's Andy Turner: "I want to be part of his plans and he's made it clear to me that I will be. The manager might see that I'm not be able to play as many games as I could have done five or six years ago, and I recognise that myself as well.
"I certainly didn't expect to play as many games as I did in the early part of the season but I feel fit and able that I can do a job somewhere down the line and I want to be part of things here, I really do. I had a bit of hamstring trouble and it didn't seem to be getting right to be honest, but I have been back training for a few weeks so it’s just nice to be back involved again.
"I missed the next couple of games then I was back in training and played an Under-21 game at Leicester last Friday which was nice because it did seem like a long time since I last played. So I was pleased to get a run out and almost 90 minutes."
Kilbane’s main competitor at the back is Jamie Reckord, one of the loan players Robins drafted in and who has been ever present in the starting eleven since he arrived from Wolves, but Kilbane replaced Reckord at Brentford with specific instructions from his manager.
Mark Robins explained: “Kevin is a senior player with plenty of experience, I wanted Kevin to go out and shore things up and get some messages on to the pitch to try to get the midfield narrow. That didn't really happen, but he is a senior player with plenty of experience I can call on if needed.
Kilbane concurred, "I didn't really get chance to do much in the game if I am being honest. It was more a case of go on and try to hold the fort and that didn't quite work out towards the end when the pressure told, but if we had got anything out of the game I think it would have been a little bit unjust on Brentford who were the better team throughout, apart from the first 25 minutes when we did quite well.
"After that we allowed them too much possession and too many chances, so it was a disappointing night because going to Brentford we thought we could get something out of the game, but I think the team has done well and certainly got results up until the last couple of games and that's been the pleasing side.
"The York game away was a chance for the manager to have a look at a few others but it’s all about whoever gets in the team has to take their chance to stay in the side."