Rangers FC decision handed Coventry City the transfer jackpot - Sheffield United were the real winners | OneFootball

John Fleck was excellent for Coventry City during his time with the Sky Blues, but he truly impressed with Sheffield United.

The lower reaches of the EFL can often be incredibly tough to find a way out of, and in the past, several huge clubs have found themselves stuck in the grips of League One and even League Two for several years with seemingly no way out.

For Coventry City and Sheffield United, the 2010s were tough. Having both experienced top flight football in the decade prior, the Sky Blues and the Blades were fighting in the third tier, with the former even dropping into the fourth tier as financial issues gripped the West Midlands outfit.

However, both clubs found solace through one incredible midfielder who helped add energy, power and tenacity to the middle of the park at the CBS Arena and Bramall Lane. The vast majority of his success came in South Yorkshire, but it was with Coventry where John Fleck started to make a name for himself in English football.

Having spent the second-half of the 2011/12 campaign on loan at Blackpool, the Scottish midfielder's time at Rangers came to a permanent end that summer as he made his way to the Sky Blues. Fresh into the third tier, they needed someone to help them fight against relegation, and that he did.

John Fleck helped Coventry City defy two points deductions in League One

Fleck left the Scottish giants as one of 10 players who refused to transfer their contracts to the new company that owned the club following administration, and he made his way south to another side that were experiencing significant financial problems.

In March 2013, any hopes that Coventry had of returning to the Championship at the first time of asking were ended as they also entered administration, and they were deducted 10 points by the EFL. THe Sky Blues ultimately finished 15th, just seven points above the drop zone.

Their 20-year-old midfielder had an excellent campaign, scoring three goals and registering seven assists in 35 league games. While he dropped to one goal scored and five assists the next campaign, there was no denying how vital he was to Steven Pressley's side, as the club was once again placed into administration.

Fleck spent two more seasons with Coventry, and in his final year at the club, he proved that he was more than ready for a step-up. He found the back of the net four times, while also assisting his teammates on five occasions as the Sky Blues just missed out on the play-offs.

John Fleck became a real star after his move to Sheffield United

It was Chris Wilder who signed the midfielder in the summer of 2016, as he parted ways with the West Midlands outfit. It was a decision that proved excellent for both Sheffield United and the player himself, as promotion was won in his first season at Bramall Lane.

He was the playmaker in S2, providing 17 assists as well as scoring four times. However, the challenge of the Championship was something that Fleck had only experienced on a handful of occasions. Despite this, he took to England's second tier like a duck to water.

After Sheffield United came close to a play-off place in their first season back in the Championship, just a year later, they would finally end their 12-year wait for Premier League football. The current Chesterfield man played all but one game as his former side finished second, and for the first time in his career, the top flight awaited him.

Fleck proved that he had the quality for England's most prestigious division, making 65 appearances across two seasons. He scored five goals and registered four assists. While he returned to the Championship with the Blades, there was no denying how vital he was in their climb up the pyramid and his impact will never be forgotten.