Coventry City have had many a striker over the years who have been billed as the next big thing and yet, in reality, not lived up to expectations.
Some have come from big clubs or even had a fine pedigree but for one reason or another just failed the hit the heights needed for the Sky Blues as they struggled to get their careers heading on an upward curve.
Some, like Amadou Bakayoko, even captured the hearts of fans despite falling short in the goal tally stakes – the bustling centre-forward even having his own song, albeit sung with a fair dash of irony.
Here we take a look at what happened to three former City front men when they left the club and where they are now.
Tyler Walker
The son of Nottingham Forest legend Des joined the Sky Blues from the City Ground in the summer of 2020 amid much excitement, having been on Mark Robins’ radar for a while after bagging a stack of goals out on successive loan spells at Mansfield Town and Lincoln City.
Joining for an undisclosed fee, he scored eight goals from 33 appearances in the 2020–21 but struggled to get himself going and was later sent out on a disastrous loan spell to Portsmouth.
Released at the end of his three year contract, the forward re-joined League One Lincoln on a free transfer and started the season, making six appearances for the Imps, albeit only two starts.
However, he suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for three months and on his return to fitness last December, suffered a recurrence of the issue and was ruled out for the rest of the season, undergoing surgery.
Fans were hoping to see Walker feature in pre-season this last summer after he returned on the final afternoon of last season but he rolled his ankle before a friendly against Preston in Spain.
“It’s not good news at all. Scan has been done, we see a specialist next week, that could be really disappointing how long that could be,” confirmed Imps’ head coach Michael Skubala at the time. “It could be anything from three months onwards.”
The 27-year-old is due back at the end of October.
Amadou Bakayoko
Bakayoko joined the Sky Blues from Walsall for an undisclosed fee in 2018 and went on to score 13 times in 85 appearances in all competitions over three seasons, unable to live up to his “20 goals, 20 goals, Bakayoko,” song.
Used increasingly sparingly on City’s promotion to the Championship, he was released in the summer of 2021 and promptly joined Bolton Wanderers. He produced a respectable return of 13 goals in his first term back in League One with the Trotters. However, he slipped down the pecking order the following season when he managed just three goals in 27 appearances, and in January 2023 he joined fellow League One club Forest Green Rovers on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.
Bakayoko suffered a goal drought and soon found his playing time from the substitutes’ bench as Rovers slipped to relegation to League Two. In the summer of 2023 Bakayoko joined Scottish Premiership club Dundee on a season-long loan, scoring six goals in 37 games.
On leaving both Forest Green and Dundee, 28-year-old Bakayoko joined Japanese J1 League club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the summer of 2024.
He made his debut as a substitute and scored his first goal from the penalty spot in a 5–3 win. The 6ft 4 inch tall striker has scored just one goal in nine appearances to date but clearly hoping to make it big in Japan.
Jordy Hiwula
The former Manchester City prospect joined Coventry from Huddersfield Town for an undisclosed fee in 2018, scoring a reasonably respectable 13 goals in his first season in League One, but was limited to just 18 appearances in his second term, bagging four times. Released by the Sky Blues in the summer of 2020, Hiwula was without a club until the October when he signed on a short-term deal for Portsmouth as a free agent. He earned a contract extension in January 2021 to take him to the summer but, after managing just three goals in 15 games, he was released and switched to League One side Doncaster Rovers on a two year deal. However, after scoring only one goal in 25 appearances he cut short his stay at Donny and moved north of the border in the summer of 2022, joining Scottish Premier side Ross County for a nominal fee.
After scoring four goals in 27 appearances for the club, Hiwula was released the following summer. He was without a club for five months before joining League Two Morecambe in February 2024 on a short term deal until the end of the season. Now aged 30, the player isn’t currently registered with any league club.
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