"Disparaging" - Disappointed Coventry City, Callum O'Hare view after Sheffield United switch | OneFootball

O'Hare will be returning to the CBS Arena in November with the Blades

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It would be fair to say that Callum O'Hare may not be the most popular man in Coventry these days after his recent exit.

The playmaker asserted himself as a fans' favourite at the CBS Arena since joining from Aston Villa back in 2019, but his departure from the West Midlands has left a rather sour taste in the mouth as far as Coventry City supporters are concerned.

Despite being part of a well-documented upward trajectory under Mark Robins which included a League One title-winning campaign, as well as reaching the Championship Play-Off Final and FA Cup Semi-Final in successive seasons, O'Hare decided to snub any forthcoming new terms from City as his previous deal fizzled out amid interest from a plethora of Premier League and Championship sides.

Although interest remained strong from sides in the top flight this summer, the 'Solihull Messi' opted for a move to newly-relegated Sheffield United, following the Blades' relegation.

That, of course, means that the Sky Blues will be facing off against their former midfielder this upcoming season, with the first of two encounters against United currently pencilled in for a 3PM kick-off on Saturday, November 23rd.

The 26-year-old could receive a mixed reception upon his return to the West Midlands, and FLW's Coventry fan pundit, Neil Littlewood, has issued his take on what might occur.

"Now this is a tough one," Littlewood began. "Personally no, I don't think he does (get a good reception)."

"Some fans will give him a positive reception regardless. But his announcement video with the sunglasses, which was the trademark celebration he did at Cov, I think that rubbed a few people up the wrong way, and I think some of his comments since have been a bit disparaging.

"He did an interview after the (Sheffield United) v Harrogate game, saying that a few things went on off the pitch and 'I wasn't happy', and it doesn't sound great. I think he's been poorly advised," our fan pundit stated.

"I think he's soured the relationship he had with Cov fans a little bit, which is strange because of the rumours that he turned down Leicester because he didn't want to upset his relationship with the fans. But, I think he's done that with some of his comments since leaving.

He concluded: "Personally, I don't think he gets a good reception. I'm on the fence myself as to how I react. At this moment in time, I probably won't boo him, but I won't be singing his name,"

As Littlewood refers to, O'Hare was the subject of an interview by BBC Radio Sheffield following the Blades' 4-1 pre-season success in North Yorkshire on Tuesday, during which he gave his new supporters yet another glimpse of his top-class Championship ability with a tidy finish on 34 minutes.

When asked about what clinched his move to the Steel City, O'Hare replied: "I think, just the way the manager spoke to me. Knowing the trust he's got in me, and obviously, the last couple of seasons, I haven't been playing regularly, due to whatever happened.

"I just want to make sure I'm playing football. It's what I love doing the most and all I care about," he continued.

"The manager had the rust in me. Obviously I know there was a lot of teams who were interested in me. But for me, it's just about playing football and being able to show what I can do.

"I feel after the last couple of years that I've had, being able to do that and show everyone what I can do is what I want to do this year, and that's the reason why I came here, to get the chance to play all the time," O'Hare added.

The playmaker then elaborated on his reference to the last two years of his stint in Sky Blue, stating: "Obviously I got injured, came back and I was flying, and then things happened and I was took out of the team. It was frustrating and I just want to be playing football.

"For me, the motivation is to get on the pitch, excite the fans and win football games, and that's what I'm here to do."

Callum O'Hare exit fuels the fire for 23rd November atmosphere

In recent seasons, Coventry's strong home atmosphere has been well-praised since returning to their home in the summer of 2022 after a spell at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, with the potential for the November clash against Chris Wilder's side to be contested between two sides with lofty ambitions.

However, it will be O'Hare's exit that will fuel such noise to even greater heights when he returns to the CBS in four months' time.

Given his capabilities, the former England youth international will once again be viewed as an influential figure in Wilder's system at Bramall Lane, meaning the likelihood of him receiving even more attention throughout the 90 minutes is far greater than most former Sky Blues players.

The midfielder will feel that his recent comments are justified after starting just 18 of his 31 league appearances last term after initially showcasing scintillating form upon his return from a long-term layoff.