Jim O’Brien and Danny Swanson both hoping Sky Blues return to the city from exile in Northampton
VIEW GALLERY
Summer signing Jim O’Brien admits he’d have signed for the Sky Blues earlier if the club had been back at the Ricoh Arena.
The current situation surrounding the stadium is clearly in the minds of the new players, with fellow recruit Danny Swanson revealing it was a question he kept asking when he was mulling over his move to City.
“It was a long decision and I exhausted every option but, in the end, it was the best one for me and my family,” said wide right man O’Brien, who has joined the club from Barnsley.
“The problems didn’t put me off but any time I spoke to the manager or my agent I was asking about the stadium and stuff. And if I had heard about them getting back in to the stadium I would have probably signed a bit sooner.
“I was always asking but it never really stood in my way once I came down and looked at the training ground and met the staff who can’t really do enough for you anyway.
“I played at the Ricoh a couple of years ago. We were caught in traffic and arrived at the stadium at 2.20pm and went straight out onto the pitch. We got beat that day as well.
“But obviously that’s the goal, to get back there and hopefully if we have a successful start to the season then talks might move further along.”
VIEW GALLERY
Team-mate Swanson, drafted in by Steven Pressley to play on the opposite wing, said: “the stadium situation didn’t put me off but it was something I kept asking about before I signed.
“I Googled the Ricoh because I’ve never played there but I saw it and thought, ‘that’s where I want to play.’
“I did keep asking my agent to ask the gaffer and things sounded a bit positive. I was reading up on it as well but I just don’t understand it all, to be honest.
“So I can’t really comment on it but I’d love to play there. To train here at Ryton and play at the Ricoh on a Saturday would be perfect.”
