Coventry City have had a perfect blend of experience and youth in recent years and their development of players is something to be admired.

Despite this, a man who is still yet to get a real shot of featuring for the Sky Blues is 23-year-old defender Jack Burroughs.

The Scottish youth international has featured just 20 times for Mark Robins’ side, and with City being pretty strong in the full-back areas, there appears to be no room at the inn for the academy graduate.

With just one year left on his contract, many fans may presume a permanent transfer away from Coventry would be the most likely outcome for Burroughs.

But, for Robins and the Sky Blues hierarchy, they may give Burroughs yet one more chance, and an additional year in League One could help the wing-back realise his potential.

The jump between League One and Championship football is a gap which many players will struggle with. Right now, it doesn’t appear Burroughs is quite at the required level to meet those standards, but at 23 years of age, he still has some development left in him.

Last season’s loan at Lincoln City started brightly for the Scotsman, but it faded away with injuries combined with the form of Reeco Hackett and Lasse Sørensen keeping him out of the side.

These predicaments saw him make just one start post-January, stunting his development somewhat. For Coventry, this wasn’t ideal, and he ended up getting way fewer minutes than they would have anticipated.

This only makes it more likely that Burroughs leaves permanently or on loan this summer, and you feel he will have many suitors in League One.

In search of regular football, targeting a team that has lower aspirations could be the move forward and there are many that fit the bill.

His prominence as a wing-back may suit a team such as Stevenage or Northampton who both deploy three-back formations. Additionally, a positional change to see him feature higher up the pitch would also make sense and Paul Hurst’s Shrewsbury Town are currently short in the winger department.

A big pre-season or bust for Jack Burroughs at Coventry City

The decisive moment in Burroughs’ Coventry career is likely approaching. The need to impress Mark Robins has never been more crucial and where better to start than during pre-season.

As pre-season normally consists of minutes being handed out across the squad, Burroughs will surely be given the chance to impress.

His hopes will only be boosted with the fixtures lined up seeing the Sky Blues come up against some top-quality opposition in SV Darmstadt 98, Werder Bremen and Everton.

If able to perform, it is distinctly possible that the wing-back will remain in Robins’ plans for the upcoming season. A big year featuring for the Sky Blues could see him rewarded with a new contract, but the form of the aforementioned duo would likely see him once again have to prove himself from the bench.

If Burroughs wants to take his career into his own hands, he requires minutes and if no assurances are given in the West Midlands, it would be advisable to pursue a move to League One.