Aidy Boothroyd wants new Coventry deal for Marlon King

Marlon King has scored five goals for Coventry since joining in September

Coventry City manager Aidy Boothroyd is urging the club's board to offer joint top scorer Marlon King a new contract as soon as possible.

The current deal for the striker, who joined City following his release from prison last year, expires this summer.

"Tie him down," Boothroyd told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire.

"He's a terrific player and I think he likes working with me. If there's something to be done there we would do well to act on it."

City have dipped badly in form, having dropped from the Championship play-off places to 15th after a run of nine league games without a win.

But King has hit a purple patch, having scored in each of the last three games to take his tally for the season level with Fredy Eastwood and Gary McSheffrey to five.

"Whatever Marlon does, whether he's playing badly, well or indifferent, his work rate is outstanding," said Boothroyd, who also had King under his command at Watford.

"That's what I expect from my players."

Jamaican international King, who started his career with Barnet, before moving to Gillingham and then Nottingham Forest, has scored goals wherever he has gone.

In 402 appearances, 88 of them as a substitute, which also included Watford and a £5m move to Wigan Athletic, as well as loans at Leeds, Hull, Middlesbrough, he has hit 126 goals.