Dom Hyam makes a return to former club Coventry City tonight and admits that his move to Rovers couldn’t have worked out any better so far.

The central defender has played every minute of Rovers’ 12 matches since signing for what is increasingly looking like a bargain £1.5m.

It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon that tonight’s game was confirmed as being staged at the Coventry Building Society Arena, with Hyam no stranger to off-field issues affecting the Sky Blues, with home matches played at St Andrew’s during part of his five-year stay.

Rovers had tried to sign Hyam earlier in the summer only to be priced out of a move. When he later became available, Rovers made their move, with the 26-year-old delighted with how it’s gone.

Asked if he felt becoming available for sale was linked to Coventry’s financial issues, he said: “Maybe. I heard about it a few weeks before coming here but then it went quiet and surfaced again.

“While that was going on I was still a Coventry player and I had games to prepare for and focus on so I had to stay professional.

“It happens so quickly and then I’m up here and signed.

“I think it’s been good (so far).

“Personally I set my standards really high.

“I’m my own biggest critic. I want to play every game when I’m fit and available.

“I think with the standards I set myself I’ve done well so far but there’s no time to think about what’s happened.

“We want to hit our targets and no time to think about that, just focus on the next performance.”

Hyam returns to face the Sky Blues where he made 192 appearances during a five-year stay.

While tonight’s game was never in doubt, where it would be played was.

While that wasn’t anything that Rovers, as a club or playing staff, could affect, Hyam explained that it can be detrimental to the home players, as he experienced during his time with the Sky Blues.

“You have to control what you can,” he said of the off-field issues.

“As players it can affect you, but you’ve got to be strong and you can only affect things on the pitch and play as and when you’re told.

“It was tough being at Coventry, a few years not even playing in Coventry, so there’s been a few lows.

“But it’s a good club, good people, good fanbase and some good players as well so hopefully they can keep playing there.”

Hyam was a virtual-ever present during his final years with Coventry, and has so far maintained that record by playing every minute of Rovers’ last 12 games, even wearing the captain’s armband for the win over Sunderland.

Jon Dahl Tomasson has referenced Hyam’s durability in a tough Championship season, and the 26-year-old said: “I set my standards high, I don’t want to miss any games.

“As a defender you want to be solid and make yourself available for every game possible.

“The consistency I’m getting used to with age.

“I’ve played every minute so far since I’ve been here and hopefully that can continue.”

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