Coventry City: Ben Sheaf and Haji Wright react to big Josh Eccles news | OneFootball

The local hero was awarded a new contract on Monday, extending his stay at the CBS Arena until 2028.

Josh Eccles' teammates, Ben Sheaf and Haji Wright, have both sent him messages of support on Instagram after he was awarded a new contract at Coventry City.

The hometown hero signed a deal to secure his future until the end of the 2027/2028 campaign on Monday, with the 24-year-old now an integral part of the plans at the CBS Arena.

The midfielder has featured in all but one Championship game so far this season, and he has been a bright spark in recent weeks, scoring and picking up an assist against Middlesbrough just days before his former manager, Mark Robins, was sacked.

Eccles made his debut for Coventry in November 2018 in the EFL Trophy, and has made nearly 140 appearances since, seeing the club rise from League One all the way to the Championship play-off final in the 2022/23 campaign.

Sheaf and Wright react to new Eccles deal

Born locally, few can knock the impact that Eccles has made this season, in particular, as he has been one of the most consistent performers in what has been a very disappointing opening three months.

His involvement in the starting XI has grown over the course of the last two years, and signing a new deal seemed to be a formality. The 24-year-old joined the Sky Blues back in 2008 when he was just seven-years-old, and signed his first professional contract 10 years later in 2018.

A popular character among his teammates, it can be said that he has had his doubters in the past, but he has started to show why, in the last couple of years, he has been trusted to become such an integral part of the first team.

Coventry teased the deal on their social media platforms just moments before it was announced, much to the excitement of supporters.

He earned praise from current and former teammates alike, with Sheaf and Wright both reacting positively to the news.

The former replied to Eccles' post with: "Love it mate ❤️👏🏻"

While the American striker, Wright, wrote: "Congrats 🙌☝🏾☝🏾"

Eccles deserved a new contract

In their last two matches, Coventry have started to look more like their usual selves, taking points off both Sheffield United and Sunderland - two of the top three clubs in the Championship.

While he did not play a part against the Black Cats, in his side's 2-2 draw with the Blades on Saturday, Eccles was excellent, and he was a key reason behind his side getting a draw at home to Chris Wilder's team.

He provided the assist for Norman Bassette's equaliser in the first-half of the tense clash at the CBS Arena, and was a constant threat in the middle of the park. He dictated the play, and ensured that his team had firm control when their opponents went down to 10.

Coventry are lucky to have a player like Eccles in their ranks, and securing him at the club until the end of the 2027/28 campaign can only be seen as a positive. The 24-year-old has a bright future in sky blue, and he will be hoping to lead the club to a better second half of the season.