Coventry City signing ex-Portsmouth hero turned out to be utterly pointless: View | OneFootball

When most football fans think of Yakubu, they'll think of a Premier League icon who had years of success in the top flight of English football - but Coventry City supporters will have very different memories.

With the Sky Blues languishing towards the bottom of League One during the 2016/17 season, they announced the signing of the big Nigerian striker in a last-ditch attempt to try and avoid relegation.

However, it was a move that failed miserably, and whilst supporters of teams like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Everton will have very fond memories of watching Yakubu play, it's fair to say that the Sky Blue army won't.

Yakubu's signing was indicative of how badly Coventry were being run at the time, and it proved an utterly pointless vanity signing that benefitted no one in the end.

The-then 34-year-old was a free agent after leaving Kayserispor at the end of the 2015-16 season, and after over half a season of inactivity for the veteran, Coventry swooped in February 2017 to bring him to the club as they looked to mount a League One survival bid.

However, it wasn't long until it became apparent why the Nigerian was a free agent, and he was clearly unfit after being without a club prior to his move to the Midlands.

He made his debut from the bench the day after signing, coming off the bench for 20 minutes in a 1-1 draw away to AFC Wimbledon.

Two further appearances would follow, both of which came from the bench.

He'd make his home debut playing 20 minutes from the bench in a 2-1 win over Gillingham, before making his final appearance a week later in a 3-1 loss to Swindon, where he did register the assist for Coventry's only goal of the game.

Those were the only appearances he made for the club, and he totaled just 69 minutes of League One football for the Sky Blues.

Despite being a proven Premier League goalscorer in the past, he was nowhere near those levels at Coventry, and he was shadow of his former self thanks to his age and being unfit.

He suffered a hamstring injury whilst at the club, and his deal was terminated just two months after he signed after three substitute appearances.

His 20 minutes from the bench against Swindon was his final appearance in professional football, and it's not a spell that anyone involved will have fond memories of - although he seemingly was playing with a torn hamstring in the clip of him against the Robins above.

To make matters worse, Coventry were relegated to League Two at the end of the 2016-17 season, capping off a miserable period for the Midlands outfit.

Yakubu failed to live up to previous spells in English football at Coventry City

Yakubu moved to English football in 2003 when he joined Portsmouth, initially on loan, from Israeli side Maccabi Haifa.

He'd spent the next nine years in the English game with the likes of Middlesbrough, Everton, Blackburn and Leicester City, before spells in Qatar and China.

However, it was clear that Yakubu enjoyed the English game, and he moved to Reading in 2015 where he had an unsuccesful spell, but not quite as poor as his time at Coventry.

In total, Yakubu scored 140 goals in 370 appearances in English football, a very impressve strikerate, but by the time he arrived at Coventry City he was clearly finished.

Whilst Yakubu is remembered as a Premier League icon for spells earlier in his career, Coventry City supporters will remember him as unfit, slow and a waste of money.