Coventry City are back in the Premier League — ending a 25-year wait that tested the patience, loyalty, and spirit of their supporters like few journeys in English football history.

The Sky Blues' return is the subject of a special episode of Football Daily, in which presenter Mark Chapman is joined by Golden Boot-winning former striker Dion Dublin, club legend and goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic, and BBC CWR reporter Rob Gurney, among others, to trace the full arc of the club's turbulent story.

The long road back

Since their relegation from the top flight in 2001, Coventry have endured almost every misfortune English football can throw at a club. They dropped as far as League Two, were forced to play away from their home city on two separate occasions, suffered a spell in administration, and cycled through 15 different managers.

The move away from Highfield Road to the Ricoh Arena was supposed to mark a new era — but it instead contributed to a painful unravelling, deepening divisions between the club and its supporters throughout the 2010s. Moz Baker, former Chair of the Sky Blues Trust, explains how the fanbase split during those turbulent years.

Robins lays the foundation

The turnaround began to take shape under manager Mark Robins, who inherited a club in serious distress and gradually restored belief across the squad and the wider fanbase. Former Coventry captain Michael Doyle speaks on the episode about how Robins achieved that transformation — and why his eventual dismissal by a new owner, however painful at the time, ultimately did not derail the club's progress.

Lampard seals the deal

It was Frank Lampard who finally guided Coventry back to the Premier League. In an interview recorded for the programme, Lampard discusses the season ahead and what returning to the top flight means for the club. Katie Stafford from BBC CWR's Sky Blues fancast also weighs in on whether Lampard's style of play suits the demands of the Premier League.

The club has backed their manager with a summer transfer budget reported at £100 million — a statement of ambition that signals Coventry's determination not merely to survive in England's top division, but to establish themselves within it.

For a fanbase that has waited a generation for this moment, the only question now is what comes next.