King rumours set to continue

The most inevitable transfer story upon Aidy Boothroyd being named as Coventry City manager was that he would look to sign Marlon King as soon as the striker, a star man under Boothroyd at Watford, was released from prison, where is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence.

Batted away a couple of weeks ago, rumours have resurfaced this week, possibly fuelled by those working on behalf of the player as his release comes ever closer.

Boothroyd’s latest comments, that ‘I would like to think that I would help him if I could’, have inevitably been turned by the media into a probable deal at the Ricoh Arena for the 30-year-old but could be taken simply to mean that King would be allowed to train with City to keep fit or that Boothroyd will be available for him to talk to and seek advice from.

Differing opinions were proffered when Wigan sacked the player following his conviction.

Having earlier opted out of a deal to sign King, Roy Hodgson, then of Fulham, said: ‘Marlon’s agent is fairly clear on the subject and has a very cynical view.

‘He believes there is no moral judgement in football and the fact the person we’re talking about can score goals will blot any moral values people will have.

‘I don’t know if that’s true, but I know he won’t be signed by Fulham. The owner of our club would not embrace that type of signing and I as a manager would not embrace it.’

Arsene Wenger on the other hand did not see why King should not return to the game, commenting: ‘When he has paid his sentence, some clubs if they want, they will take him.’

Given that Lee Hughes in particular, convicted of a more serious offence than King, is once again earning good money to play professional football, it is a cast-iron certainty that King will do so too.

It is also inevitable that Boothroyd, manager of the player during one of his most productive spells, will be continually linked with a move to sign him.

Would doing so harm the reputation of Coventry City Football Club? Should a manager have to take into account the moral issues involved? Should the decision be taken higher up not to get involved and would that take authority away from the manager?

Plenty of questions and ones that will continue to linger.