Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard hails how Bobby Thomas has stepped up to become a Premier League performer

Coventry City defender Bobby Thomas currently boasts the most clearances and defensive actions by any Premier League player so far this season.

Those stats back up one of the Sky Blues’ early season success stories of a player who has stepped up from the Championship and is seemingly growing in stature with every game that goes, looking every bit a top flight performer. Asked about the centre-back’s character and career trajectory, Frank Lampard said: “Yeah, it’s been great to be a part of it, too, in our time as staff at the club to see Bobby who was always a centre-back with lots of potential, lots of character when you get to know him you see a willingness to get better, and we try to help him.

“But more than that, he’s helped himself because I think he’s really focussed on becoming this player that we’re now seeing. I’ve got a good relationship with him; we have as a staff. He’s easy to engage with and there’s something about his demeanour and his ways as a leader in the team, and I think he’s even improved that side of it off the pitch and around the dressing room where he’s worked hard on his own game.”

He added: “He’s got more confidence in his own game so now he can start helping people around him. So I think there’s a big progression in that, on and off the pitch, for him which is great and he’s showing his true talents which is a great thing because the levels have gone up, there’s more pressure, more blocks to do and all the things.

“And he’s acquitting himself very, very well, hence getting some good attention for it and he just needs to keep doing the same thing because it’s been good to see him play like this.”

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Asked if he feels Thomas is benefitting from having such an experienced player in Ethan Pinnock next to him, the head coach said: “Yeah, I think he is benefitting from that. I think him and Kitch had an incredible partnership where they both performed amazingly for us in the Championship last year and formed a really strong bond as well. So I don’t want to take anything away from what Kitch did last year. Him and Bobby helped each other through the season.

“But of course, at this point, Ethan has come in with a very calm demeanour, a very experienced way, a great way about him every day. If you could sort of draw your perfect professional that you bring to a football club, Ethan would be that.

“You know he covers everything in terms of health, assurance and all those things. So for him to be next to Bobby I think, yeah, he has because he’s so calming and Bobby’s a bit younger. You know, he’s a bit more emotional and all those things so I think it’s nice to strike a balance like that.”