In hindsight, Coventry City’s £1.5 million arrangement with Newcastle was excellent business.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Coventry City faced off-field troubles that remained unresolved for years. However, the sale of Leon Best alleviated some of these issues temporarily.

The Sky Blues relocated to the Ricoh Arena in 2005, but the club’s financial situation deteriorated thereafter. In 2007, the club faced the possibility of going out of business, however this was avoided when the club was purchased by hedge fund owner Sisu Capital.

They did, however, cut their investment in the club beginning in 2009, as debts mounted. On the football, they were also struggling, finishing in the bottom half of the table several times and flirting with relegation for several years.

So the club needed to sell players for as much money as possible to balance the books, and Best’s exit to Newcastle United was confirmed. Fortunately for Coventry, it appears that they got the better bargain in the end.

Leon Best was Coventry’s talisman before his departure

In July 2007, Best joined Coventry from Southampton for a sum of £650,000, as established by a tribunal.

The striker wasn’t Coventry’s most prolific goalscorer, but he became a fan favourite.

That was best seen when he shattered his cheekbone in 2008 and had to wear a protective mask. The Coventry faithful nicknamed him “Zorro” after a mythical character with a black mask.

When he returned to the team wearing his mask, he scored three goals in as many games, and some Coventry fans wore masks in the stands to honour him.

He started brightly in the 2009/10 season, scoring nine goals and four assists in 27 appearances. Newcastle United signed him for £1.5 million after he rejected a new contract with Coventry, which was set to expire at the conclusion of the season. Losing their leading scorer at the time was a huge setback, with many believing he would have gone on to do exceptionally well for Coventry.

Leon Best’s lack of impact in the Premier League suggests the deal to sell him was a good one by Coventry

Best left at the age of 23, with the potential to become a regular Premier League striker, but he fell short.

Despite scoring a hat-trick on his debut Premier League appearance in a 5-0 win over West Ham United, he was limited in playing time at St James Park after helping Newcastle win the Championship in 2010.

He would leave in 2012, after making 28 appearances and scoring ten goals in two seasons in the top level.

After leaving Blackburn Rovers, he was loaned to Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Brighton & Hove Albion, resulting in another disastrous spell. In July 2015, his contract with Rovers was terminated with mutual consent.

Best had short and unsatisfactory spells with Rotherham United, Ipswich Town, and Charlton Athletic before being released from the latter due to a knee injury.

A combination of injuries and a lack of game time meant Best never lived up to the potential that many expected him to, and while it appeared to be a horrible deal for Coventry at the time, it turned out to be smart business for the club.

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