Fans' delight at surprise signings from Lampard and Rushworth

To fans of Coventry City Football Club, the head coach is Super Frankie Lampard and Carl Rushworth is the goalkeeper who kept 17 clean sheets this season

The former England and Chelsea star guided the Sky Blues to the Premier League, 25 years after they were relegated from the top flight in 2001, while the 24-year-old shot-stopper was the rock in his defence.

Fans have been telling BBC CWR about how they feel about both men and the interactions they have had with them, in the days after the club secured promotion.

They include a woman who got Lampard's signature on her plaster cast and a 10-year-old boy who got Rushworth to sign a new contract, of sorts.

Leo managed to get a contract placard he made at home signed by Carl Rushworth.

The 10-year-old was at the War Memorial Park for Coventry City's We Are Back promotion party on bank holiday Monday.

Rushworth is one of Leo's favourite players and his sign was spotted in the crowd by club captain Matt Grimes.

"Rushworth was on the player's bus, and then Matt Grimes said - pass it over. I saw him pass it over and then Rushworth signed it," Leo said.

Leo's dad Paul said he got caught up in the excitement and what the signing meant to his son.

"As soon as I seen Matty Grimes pointing and gesturing to come over, like a beeline, made my way there. I'm like a 10-year-old myself, just the excitement of getting to the front. It's such a buzz.

"And seeing his face at the end of it all, that makes it, that's the main thing at the end of the day."

Leo said he would get the contract framed and hang it on his bedroom wall.

Now the Championship season has ended Rushworth, who was with the Sky Blues on a season-long loan, has returned to his home club of Brighton and Hove Albion.

Fans have been calling for Coventry to sign him on a permanent deal, which Leo believes will happen.

"I think he will sign the contract in the summer."

Another surprise signing came for Margaret Murphy, who was at Coventry City's end-of-season awards dinner on Sunday, the day before the team's promotion parade.

Murphy broke her arm in a fall and her arm was in a cast at the dinner.

"There was a lot of security around him, but my granddaughter Jordan managed to get through the crowd, holding my arm and got up to Frank Lampard and she said - will you sign my nan's cast.

"And he said - course I will."

She said she was the only person who managed to get the head coach's signature on the night.

Murphy, a lifelong Sky Blues fan, had the cast removed on Thursday and said she would treasure it forever.

"I'm dead proud of it. I've just left the hospital to get the cast off and the doctors were - oh look, that's lovely, oh my God, how did you get that?"

She said they were very careful and drilled all around the cast so Lampard's signature remained intact.

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.