Coventry City: Mark Robins signing of "brilliant finisher" was one of his best - he bagged 50 goals | OneFootball

Matty Godden, now at Charlton, spent five seasons with the Sky Blues, and was a crucial part in their return to the Championship.

Matty Godden was perhaps one of the shrewdest signings of the recently concluded Mark Robins era at Coventry City, leaving the Sky Blues this summer after five respectable seasons with the club, and 50 goals.

The striker, now 33-years-old, gave arguably the best years of his career to the West Midlands side, though continues to perform regularly for Charlton Athletic.

While there are certainly players of a higher retrospective profile brought in by Robins, with a typically high turnover of personnel, it is the longevity and consistency that sets the striker aside from most.

Godden's half century of goals makes him Coventry City's second-highest goalscorer since their relegation from the Premier League in 2001, only behind Gary McSheffrey (73).

His succesful tenure at the CBS Arena (and a short while at St. Andrews) was by no means a surprise, as Godden had long established himself as an effective EFL goalscorer.

Mark Robins must have known he had a finisher on his hands

Having scored 18 times for Peterborough United the previous season, Godden signed for then-third-tier Coventry in August 2019 on an initial three-year contract.

At 28, he had worked his way up the pyramid, playing for seven different teams in non-league before impressing with Stevenage in League Two and the aforementioned Posh.

Godden was viewed admirably within the EFL at the time of signing. The Coventry Telegraph ran an article on the day of his arrival, having asked a Stevenage fan exactly what to expect from their new forward.

“His [strengths are in his] finishing. He’s a brilliant finisher and scores many different types of goals with his left foot, right foot and with his head.

“His movement is really good as well. He likes to sit on the last man.

“He’s not that quick but he understands how football works and moves around and he sits on that last man and he turns and tries to get in behind.

“He’s in the old fashioned mould really and doesn’t drop deep to get balls that much."

This soundbite proved to be somewhat prophetic, as the strengths detailed were evidenced throughout the 2019/20 season. Godden's 14 goals in 26 League One appearances ensured promotion and a division title for Cov.

That was to be his most lucrative campaign of five with the club, as numbers wilted considerably, but not catastrophically, upon arrival to the Championship.

With 32 second-tier goals in 112 appearances, Godden made a terrific account for himself considering he was playing in the National League South well into his twenties.

His most notable return was in the 2021/22 season, where he and Viktor Gyökeres formed an incredible strike partnership, combining to score 29 goals in all.

While they once rubbed shoulders, Godden and his Swedish counterpart have had much different career trajectories of late, as while Gyökeres is among the most valuable players in world football right now, Godden is languishing in League One with a struggling Charlton Athletic.

An exclusive club of EFL goalscorers

On October 1st, having scored a seemingly innocuous consolation against Bristol Rovers in the final minute of the game, Matthew Godden secured his 30th goal in League One.

In scoring this, the striker entered himself into an elite, and highly exclusive, club of EFL strikers.

Having worked his way steadily up the pyramid, Matthew Godden is one of just eight men who have scored 30+ goals in each of the EFL's three divisions.

While the above table reveals he achieved this feat somewhat more economically than his peers, to be among such recognisable names is still testament to his outstanding, if not understated career.

Having risen from eighth tier to second, Matthew Godden may be on the steady decline back down the leagues as he enters the twilight of his career, though Coventry fans will always remember their no. 24 fondly.