Coventry City have seen some seriously talented players arrive at the CBS Arena in recent years.
Having bounced around League One and Two for most of the 2010s, their ascension back to second tier football was a remarkable story when you consider the ownership problems they had.
Now firmly placed in the Championship, the past five years have seen some stellar footballers grace their shores. Predominantly signed for minimal fees, the scouting network of the Sky Blues has to be credited with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Milan Van Ewijk and Ben Sheaf all performing brilliantly after being picked up elsewhere.
Another star was Gustavo Hamer. The 27-year-old arrived back in 2020 for £1.5 million, and firmly established himself as a fan favourite across three seasons.
A naturally gifted footballer, he went from strength to strength under the guidance of Mark Robins, and it was no surprise to see him depart for a fee well in excess of what the Sky Blues paid three years earlier.
Gus Hamer – A star for Coventry City
Prior to making his move to England, Hamer had a strong season for PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie, where he managed to net four and assist six in 25 games.
This prompted the Sky Blues to table a £1.5 million offer for his services, which Zwolle duly accepted. Not only was this an astute piece of business, but it also marked a shift in Coventry’s transfer strategy, breaking the £1 million barrier for the first time since Freddy Eastwood’s move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2008.
Despite making his debut in the Covid-era against MK Dons in the EFL Cup, he quickly made an impression on Coventry fans and looked like a player perfectly suited to Championship football. Before long, he was considered one of the first names on the team sheet and notched his opening goal for the club with a delightful finish from the edge of the box against Reading.
This was symptomatic of the quality he would show over the coming years, and he ended his first season with five goals and three assists as the Sky Blues finished in 16th place.
Hamer was on fire for Coventry in 2021-22 and 2022-23
Having bled himself into English football, the following 24 months would cement the Dutchman’s place as one of the Championship’s best midfielders.
Featuring alongside the ever-reliable Sheaf, Hamer was afforded more attacking opportunities in the final third and made the best use of them as he laid on ten assists across 39 Championship games in 2021-22. This led Coventry to a 12th-placed finish, but it was the following year that he took his game to new levels.
Now a well-established team, Robins’ side had ambitions in the upper echelons of the second tier. This was matched by their on-field performance and, despite a tight run contest, they secured a play-off spot on the final day of the 2022-23 season.
This wouldn’t have been possible without a few players, but Gus Hamer was certainly one of the standouts in the side.
Across 41 games, the influential midfielder netted nine goals and provided 10 assists, but it was in the closing weeks of the season that he truly came into his own. Over the final five fixtures, during which the Sky Blues amassed 11 points, Hamer delivered seven decisive goal contributions, driving his team towards that coveted top-six finish.
He carried this form into the play-offs, showcasing his composure against Middlesbrough as he danced his way around Michael Carrick’s defence before bending a delightful finish around three players to send City into the play-off final.
Unsurprisingly, the ‘Most Expensive Game in Football’ followed a similar pattern for the influential Hamer, whose now regulatory edge-of-the-box finish came as no surprise to anyone in Wembley. Levelling the game up at 1-1, it would stay that way until the 80th minute when, devastatingly, the Sky Blues star was forced off with an injury. What followed was a 6-5 penalty defeat to Luton Town as Fankaty Dabo smashed his spot-kick over the bar.
Having not secured Premier League football, interest began to arrive from the tier above during the summer, and it was Sheffield United who pursued a move closely for Hamer. Finally, in mid-August, the deal was confirmed as he departed the CBS Arena for Bramall Lane in a deal worth £15 million.
His final appearance for Coventry came in the same competition where he began his Sky Blues career, as he left the club on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat to AFC Wimbledon.
This shouldn’t take away from a stellar three years as Hamer has to go down as one of Coventry’s best signings in the modern era.
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