Coventry City fans are thrilled with surprise signings from head coach Frank Lampard and goalkeeper Carl Rushworth. The club celebrates its promotion to the Premier League after 25 years.
Key points
Coventry City celebrates promotion to the Premier League
Frank Lampard is the head coach
Carl Rushworth kept 17 clean sheets this season
Fans express delight at the signings
The club returns to the top flight after 25 years
Mentioned in this story
Frank LampardCarl RushworthEngland
Coventry CityPremier League
Leo is holding his sign which reads 'Sign Here Carl and features the player's signature at the bottom. Leo is flanked by his dad Paul, who is wearing a retro Coventry City top and his mum Clare, who has the club's hot coral away kit on. She also has a Coventry City scarf around her neck.
Leo got Coventry City keeper Carl Rushworth to sign his homemade contract at the club's promotion party [BBC/Dan Sambell]
To fans of Coventry City Football Club, the head coach is Super Frankie Lampard and Carl Rushworth is the goalkeeper who kept 17 clean sheets this season
The former England and Chelsea star guided the Sky Blues to the Premier League, 25 years after they were relegated from the top flight in 2001, while the 24-year-old shot-stopper was the rock in his defence.
Fans have been telling BBC CWR about how they feel about both men and the interactions they have had with them, in the days after the club secured promotion.
They include a woman who got Lampard's signature on her plaster cast and a 10-year-old boy who got Rushworth to sign a new contract, of sorts.
Leo managed to get a contract placard he made at home signed by Carl Rushworth.
The 10-year-old was at the War Memorial Park for Coventry City's We Are Back promotion party on bank holiday Monday.
Rushworth is one of Leo's favourite players and his sign was spotted in the crowd by club captain Matt Grimes.
"Rushworth was on the player's bus, and then Matt Grimes said - pass it over. I saw him pass it over and then Rushworth signed it," Leo said.
Q&A
What impact did Frank Lampard have on Coventry City's promotion?
Frank Lampard played a crucial role in guiding Coventry City to the Premier League, marking their return after 25 years.
How many clean sheets did Carl Rushworth achieve this season?
Carl Rushworth kept 17 clean sheets during the season, contributing significantly to the team's defense.
What are fans saying about the signings of Lampard and Rushworth?
Fans have expressed their excitement and positive feelings about both Frank Lampard and Carl Rushworth following the club's promotion.
When did Coventry City last play in the Premier League before this season?
Coventry City was last in the Premier League 25 years ago, having been relegated in 2001.
Related Articles
Sports
Here is the May 2026 Peoria-area high school track and field honor roll
Check out the May 2026 Peoria-area high school track honor roll!
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Cricket·Recap
Yesterday IPL Match Result: Finn Allen's ton fashions 4th straight win for KKR against DC
Finn Allen's century leads KKR to a decisive win over DC, marking their fourth straight victory in the IPL.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Ducks cede self-inflicted series advantage to Vegas in dismal Game 3
Yahoo Sports·
Sports
Real Madrid’s Plan A and Plan B for next manager – report
Real Madrid's search for a new manager focuses on Mourinho and one other candidate.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Ruud Gullit tells Chelsea to sign player like Man United star, warns it’ll be a “problem” if they don’t
Ruud Gullit tells Chelsea to sign a player like Casemiro to avoid problems.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Cricket
IPL 2026: Busted! Virat Kohli's match ticket turns out to be AI-generated
Fake AI-Generated Tickets Busted During IPL 2026 Match!
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Leo holds his sign with Carl Rushworth's signature at the bottom.
Carl Rushworth is one of Leo's favourite players but it needed a team effort to get the 24-year-old to sign his homemade contract [BBC/Dan Sambell]
Leo's dad Paul said he got caught up in the excitement and what the signing meant to his son.
"As soon as I seen Matty Grimes pointing and gesturing to come over, like a beeline, made my way there. I'm like a 10-year-old myself, just the excitement of getting to the front. It's such a buzz.
"And seeing his face at the end of it all, that makes it, that's the main thing at the end of the day."
Carl Rushworth stands in front of the Sky Blue Lodge at Coventry City's training ground at Ryton,
Rushworth was a season-long loan goalkeeper for Coventry City and has returned to his home club of Brighton and Hove Albion [Coventry City FC]
Leo said he would get the contract framed and hang it on his bedroom wall.
Now the Championship season has ended Rushworth, who was with the Sky Blues on a season-long loan, has returned to his home club of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Fans have been calling for Coventry to sign him on a permanent deal, which Leo believes will happen.
"I think he will sign the contract in the summer."
Frank Lampard is in the middle of the picture with Margaret on the right and Margaret's grand-daughter on the left of the picture.
Margaret's granddaughter Jordan managed to get past Frank Lampard's security and get him to sign her grandma's plaster cast [Margaret Murphy]
Another surprise signing came for Margaret Murphy, who was at Coventry City's end-of-season awards dinner on Sunday, the day before the team's promotion parade.
Murphy broke her arm in a fall and her arm was in a cast at the dinner.
"There was a lot of security around him, but my granddaughter Jordan managed to get through the crowd, holding my arm and got up to Frank Lampard and she said - will you sign my nan's cast.
"And he said - course I will."
She said she was the only person who managed to get the head coach's signature on the night.
A plaster cast with Frank Lampard's signature on it.
Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard signed Margaret's plaster cast at the club's annual end-of-season awards dinner [BBC/Jenna Benson]
Murphy, a lifelong Sky Blues fan, had the cast removed on Thursday and said she would treasure it forever.
"I'm dead proud of it. I've just left the hospital to get the cast off and the doctors were - oh look, that's lovely, oh my God, how did you get that?"
She said they were very careful and drilled all around the cast so Lampard's signature remained intact.