Plymouth Argyle hit the transfer jackpot at Coventry City’s expense | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle saw the best of Ruben Lameiras, whereas he was inconsistent for Coventry City.

Ruben Lameiras is among the past and present EFL players who have played for both Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City, although the two clubs will have differing memories of the winger.

Both the Devon outfit and the Sky Blues have endured their fair share of ups and downs, as Plymouth won the League One title in 2023 before being relegated back to the third tier two years later.

Meanwhile, Coventry enjoyed rising through the divisions from League Two to the Championship under the stewardship of former boss Mark Robins, who also guided them to the FA Cup semi-finals in 2024.

The Sky Blues replaced Robins with former Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard, who guided the West Midlands outfit to the play-offs at the first time of asking.

Plymouth Argyle saw the best of Ruben Lameiras, who could not produce the same form at Coventry City

Lameiras rose through the youth academy ranks with Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur, although he never made a senior appearance for the North Londoners.

The winger instead went on loan to Swedish side Atvidaberg in 2015, making 11 outings for the Allsvenskan club before joining Coventry on a free transfer later that year.

After being released by Tottenham in the summer of 2015, Lameiras played for the Sky Blues in friendlies against Portsmouth and Nuneaton while on trial.

As reported by BBC Sport, then Coventry boss Tony Mowbray was impressed by the former Spurs man, and when he opted to sign him, he said: "In the games he has played with us, he has been bright and carries a real threat on the ball. Ruben can play central or on the wings, so once again, we've got another player who can be a valuable option for us across the park."

Lameiras's competitive debut in English football came in August 2015, when the Sky Blues defeated Wigan Athletic 2-0 in League One.

The Portuguese player went on to score his first Coventry goal in a 4-0 away victory over Millwall, just one week on from his side's clash with the Latics.

Supporters of the CBS Arena club will fondly remember that Lameiras scored three goals in six games in their triumphant 2016/17 EFL Trophy campaign.

However, his League One exploits left a lot more to be desired, as he notched just two goals and two assists in 29 appearances in his first third-tier season.

Lameiras went on to produce a similarly disappointing return of one goal and three assists in the 2016/17 League One campaign, and he subsequently joined Plymouth on a free transfer.

The winger established more clinical instincts after joining the Pilgrims, scoring six goals and producing eight assists in the 2017/18 third-tier campaign.

Former Argyle teammate Graham Carey sang Lameiras's praises in an interview with Plymouth Live in August 2017: "Ruben is great. His quality is there for everyone to see.

"The way he gets on the ball is probably a bit similar to me. He likes playing in little holes and creating things for other players. He’s a great lad as well, and I think he will have a big future at the club.

"You can see that Portuguese in him, in the way he plays. He just loves to get on the ball and create things for other players."

Lameiras then went on to notch a career-best return of 12 goals and six assists in 45 appearances across all competitions the following season.

Despite his efforts, Plymouth were relegated to League Two in 2019, which prompted the former Tottenham starlet to return to Portugal and join Famalicao.

However, the Pilgrims will have an overriding feeling that they got one over Coventry by signing Lameiras on a free transfer and getting the best out of him.

Ruben Lameiras endured a disappointing spell in Portugal after leaving Plymouth

Not only did the winger perform better in Devon than he did for the Sky Blues, but he also struggled to reignite his clinical Argyle form after joining Familicao.

The Portuguese club may have hoped to see the ex-Coventry man notch double figures, after he managed that feat in his final season in League One.

However, in his first campaign with Familicao, he scored just two goals and went on to join Vitoria de Guimaraes midway through the 2020/21 campaign.

Lameiras's poor attacking form in Portugal persisted with Vitoria de Guimaraes, Chaves, and Casa Pia was more akin to his Coventry days, prompting the winger to join Qatari club Al-Saliya in September 2024.