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Coventry were once one of the established names in top-flight football and are now preparing for their first Premier League season in 25 years.

Former Coventry City manager Gordon Strachan says he is thrilled to see a sense of pride restored in the city after 25 years spent in the football wilderness.

Very few fanbases have endured as much as Coventry supporters during the 21st century.

The club’s 34-year spell in the top division ended in 2001 while Strachan was in charge, and from that point matters continued to deteriorate year after year.

The club did not mount a serious push for promotion back to the Premier League for 11 years and eventually slipped into League Two amid constant turmoil surrounding the club’s ownership at the time.

Coventry supporters, understandably, protested as the club fell through the divisions, were forced out of the city twice because of disputes over the stadium, and were given little reason to believe better days were coming.

But Strachan says the mood around Coventry is now completely different after the club fought its way back from those low points and finally won the Championship last season to return to the top level.

Strachan told FourFourTwo: “There are signs up, even on the road signs, saying ‘We’re back’.

“The community, football-wise, took a battering for 25 years. It’s a different world now in Coventry.

“The eyes of the world are now on Coventry, which is great, and they’re actually talking about football.”

He continued: “For 20 years, it was ‘Who owns the stadium? Who’s got the shares in it? Where are we playing? Are we at Northampton or Birmingham? Who’s the owner?’”

Coventry will begin their season with what may be their toughest fixture of the campaign: an away match against champions Arsenal on Friday, August 21.

The Coventry Building Society Arena will then stage its first Premier League match when fellow promoted side Hull City visit on Saturday, August 29.