Jamie Allen has praised Viktor Gyokeres after his excellent performances for Sporting Club de Lisbon
Coventry City midfielder Jamie Allen has responded to a social media post from Viktor Gyokeres following his important brace for Sporting Clube de Portugal on Sunday.
Gyokeres was teammates with Allen during their time together at Coventry before the Swede departed last summer.
The striker was crucial to the Sky Blues’ run to the play-off final, where the club narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
He contributed 21 goals and 10 assists as Mark Robins’ side finished fourth in the Championship table (all stats from Fbref).
Gyokeres was then sold with just 12 months remaining on his contract following the final defeat to Luton Town, departing the CBS Arena in a deal worth €20 (£17.1) million.
| Viktor Gyokeres – Coventry City league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com) | ||||
| Season | Appearances (Starts) | Goals (Assists) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 19 (7) | 3 (0) | ||
| 2022-23 | 45 (41) | 17 (5) | ||
| 2023-24 | 46 (44) | 21 (10) | ||
Jamie Allen sends Gyokeres message
Gyokeres posted to social media following his remarkable brace against title rivals Porto on Sunday.
The 25-year-old scored in the 87th and 88th minutes to secure an important draw for Ruben Amorim’s side, keeping them five points clear at the top of the Liga Nos table.
“Jobs not finished,” wrote Gyokeres, via Instagram following the 2-2 result.
Allen joined a number of people to praise his performance, with the former Coventry star proving crucial to their bid to win back the Portuguese league title.
Allen has been with Coventry since 2019, joining from Burton Albion on an initial three-year deal during the summer.
He has become a regular presence in Robins’ side over the last few years, despite struggling with injuries at the start of his time at the CBS Arena.
The 29-year-old has made 21 appearances for the Sky Blues this season, with the team having narrowly missed out on a play-off place.
Meanwhile, Gyokeres has gone from strength to strength since departing Coventry, contributing 26 goals and 10 assists in his first year in Portugal.
This has seen him linked with a big-money move back to English football, which could earn the Championship side up to 15 percent of any potential fee.
Coventry miss out on play-offs without Gyokeres
Ellis Simms and Haji Wright were signed to replace Gyokeres last summer and both have established themselves as a key part of Robins’ side.
Simms had a slow start to life at Coventry, but he has gone on to contribute 13 goals and one assist from 44 appearances in the Championship.
Wright, meanwhile, has bagged 15 goals and six assists in 42 league games for his new club.
Despite those contributions, the Sky Blues have been unable to secure another top six finish, missing out on the play-offs after coming fourth last year.
Robins’ team will finish the second division season this weekend when they face QPR on 4 May, with the club currently sitting ninth in the standings.
Gyokeres’ absence has been felt at Coventry
The penalty shootout defeat to Luton Town last summer will feel like a real what-if moment for Coventry for a long time.
Gyokeres’ excellent performances in Portugal show just how big of a talent he is, and what could have been if he had stayed.
In another world, Coventry won that penalty shootout and he went on to tear it up in the Premier League instead.
However, the Sky Blues have done well to manage losing such an important figure, and the team is on the right track, even if they missed out on the top six this year.
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