Coventry City struck gold with £750k signing who is still cutting it in the EFL | OneFootball

Coventry City signed striker Matt Godden from Peterborough United in 2019 for £750k and he had five stellar years at the club.

When Coventry City signed Matt Godden from Peterborough United in August 2019, the move raised eyebrows.

Godden was a proven goalscorer in the lower leagues but had never played regularly above League One. Coventry were targeting promotion under Mark Robins and needed someone who could deliver consistently. He did exactly that, becoming one of the club’s most important signings in recent memory, which is even more impressive considering that he only cost £750,000.

Most of his career was spent in the lower leagues and in non-league, with Godden joining from Peterborough after an impressive season in that saw him score 18 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions for the League One side.

Godden's strong start to life in Coventry

In his first season with the Sky Blues, the 2019/20 campaign, Godden scored 14 goals in 26 league appearances.

That season, Coventry won the League One title and earned automatic promotion to the Championship after getting 67 points in 34 games before the season was curtailed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A hat-trick against Wycombe Wanderers in December 2019 highlighted his instinctive finishing, and further goals against Sunderland AFC, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth proved decisive. He was very impactful in his first season at the club.

Godden’s style of play is simple but effective. He’s not the tallest or quickest forward, but he has intelligent movement and a sharp eye for goal. He consistently finds space in the box and finishes well under pressure.

Robins often used him either as a lone striker or in a two-man partnership, depending on the opposition. In both systems, Godden's ability to convert chances made him valuable. Injuries disrupted his time at the club. He was sidelined for periods with the Sky Blues, dealing with calf and groin issues at times.

Despite that, when fit, he has always been in the mix and has regularly come up with key goals.

Godden's impact in the Championship with Coventry City

In the 2020/21 season, Godden played 23 league games and scored six goals. Coventry were newly promoted to the Championship and focused on avoiding relegation. Godden had periods out of the squad but featured in much of the second half of the season, scoring against Barnsley and Bristol City.

While his overall numbers weren’t headline-grabbing, his contributions came when the Sky Blues needed them most. It was also a promising season considering that he had never played consistently at the level before and was able to adapt to a brand-new division. His only prior experience in the second tier came courtesy of five appearances from the bench for Scunthorpe United in the 2010/11 season.

The 2022/23 season was one of the club’s most memorable in recent years, with Coventry reaching the Championship play-off final.

Although they fell to Luton Town on penalties, the campaign was a statement of progress. Godden played a meaningful role in that run, scoring eight league goals and offering depth and experience.

Viktor Gyokeres was the main striker, but Godden was often trusted in difficult away games or when tactical flexibility was needed. His movement and hold-up play gave Coventry another option when matches required a different approach.

The legacy that Godden created at Coventry City

Throughout his time at the club, Godden was a reliable professional. Not a vocal leader in the traditional sense, but a player respected for his focus and consistency. In a period when Coventry lost several influential players, including Gyokeres, Gustavo Hamer and, for a long spell, Callum O’Hare, Godden remained part of the core group. Even in a more rotational role, he stayed ready and productive.

By the 2023/24 season, Godden was still playing a good number of minutes, with 35 league appearances in total for the club.

He continued to score, particularly in the first half of the campaign, and provided experience in a squad that was transitioning once again. With 50 goals for Coventry in all competitions, his return is impressive, especially when considering the level he played at before joining the club and the fee paid.

In 2024, Godden joined Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee, but remains a popular figure at the Coventry Building Society Arena and was a big part of the club's return and resurgence in the Championship, as they now find themselves pushing for promotion out of the league.

Both Coventry