Frank Lampard reacts to Dion Dublin's Coventry City promotion message | OneFootball

The Sky Blues were promoted on Friday night - and the congratulations are rolling in

Coventry City ended their 25 year wait for Premier League football on Friday night.

A 1-1 draw at Ewood Park against relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers was enough to seal their fate, equalising six minutes from full time.

It was Bobby Thomas who delivered the defining moment, rising highest to head home from a free kick and send the travelling support into delirium after Ryoya Morishita initially put Michael O'Neill's team in front earlier in the second half.

It was a goal that will live long in the club’s modern history.

Frank Lampard responds to congratulations from Dion Dublin

Unsurprisingly, messages of congratulations have flooded in for Coventry, including from former players.

Dion Dublin, a key figure in Coventry’s last top-flight era, was among them.

Writing on Instagram, he praised both the players and the supporters who had carried the club through its lowest points.

“The Sky Blues are back! Congratulations to everyone who’s played their part,” he wrote.

“The players brilliant,but especially the hardcore fans that have travelled ‘all over the place' in the past few years supporting the team! WOW!

“‘Super Frankie Lampard’ well done mate! WAPL (We are Premier League) say WAPL”

Coventry boss Lampard was appreciative of the club legend’s message, replying “thanks mate.”

It was a short exchange, but one that spoke to the scale of the moment.

Figures from Coventry’s Premier League past acknowledging a team that has finally dragged the club back after a quarter of a century away.

For supporters, this has been a long road. Relegation, administration, groundshares and a spell in League Two all form part of the recent memory.

Promotion is the end of a cycle many feared would never close.

How Frank Lampard guided Coventry City back to the Premier League

Lampard’s impact on this squad has been clear across the season.

Coventry started fast, scoring freely and pulling clear at the top. When results dipped in winter, they steadied rather than collapsed.

The response - particularly the 3-0 win over Middlesbrough in February - re-established control of the promotion race.

The win over Middlesbrough in February was a turning point. From there, Coventry put together another run that took them clear again.

Even at Blackburn, there was little panic, though they had to come from behind. Ryoya Morishita’s goal put the home side ahead early in the second half, but Coventry pushed late on and got their equaliser through Thomas from a Victor Torp free-kick.

It summed up their season - the Sky Blues created chances, stayed in games and found goals when they needed them.

Lampard has kept the squad balanced throughout the campaign. Regular starters have carried the workload, while experienced players outside the starting XI have remained involved.

January additions, including Frank Onyeka, added depth without changing the structure of the side.

Promotion has come with games to spare and without the financial backing some rivals have had.

Coventry have done this without parachute payments and without major spending. The foundations were laid over several years, but Lampard has taken them the final step.

He admitted afterwards that the achievement ranks among the most meaningful of his career - and it is easy to see why.

After 25 years away, Coventry City are back.