Sunderland completed their third signing of the summer on Saturday as they welcomed Coventry defender Jordan Willis to the club.
The 24-year-old played over 200 games for Coventry over an eight-year span that saw the team win the Checkatrade Trophy and a League Two Play-Off Final – in which Willis netted a stunning goal.
So what can Sunderland fans expect from Willis?
Well, in our interview with Willis he described himself as quick and athletic, while his history with Coventry, where he captained the team on occasion, suggests that he is also a leader on the pitch.
Last season Coventry had one of the better defensive records in League One, conceding 54 goals – a total that ranked them in the top half.
Willis did feature against Sunderland at the Ricoh Arena last season, but he missed the crazy 5-4 game towards the end of the season because of injury.
Looking back over Willis’ career, he has enjoyed a large amount of success too, having won twice at Wembley and helped Coventry to a top-half finish last season despite many off the field issues.
He played his first game for the Sky Blues in 2011 against Southampton aged just 17.
Willis struggled to establish himself in the team right away, as he featured just six times during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns.
However, the 2013-14 season saw him feature regularly for the Sky Blues as he played over 30 games in League One.
The campaigns that followed saw Willis feature more regularly, though he did experience relegation during the 2016-17 campaign.
That season also saw Coventry win the EFL Trophy as they defeated Oxford 2-1 in front of over 74,000 at Wembley.
League Two football beckoned though for the 2017-18 season and Willis put his stamp on Coventry’s history as he scored a stunning winner at Wembley in the Play-Off Final to send the Sky Blues back into League One.
Last season, Willis featured 38 times in the third tier and his performances led to him being linked with a whole host of Championship clubs.
So, it may have been a surprise to some that he stayed in League One but, as Willis told us in his interview, it was the lure of the stadium, facilities, fan base and the history of the club that made his mind up.
