From Portsmouth target to record £22.5m Premier League move for former Lincoln City and Swansea City man
He was on Pompey’s radar four years ago and will now be playing in the Premier League next season with Coventry City, after a record move from Brighton and Hove Albion.
He became a target as the challenge of replacing a Pompey player of the year was taken on.
Gavin Bazunu had just enjoyed a breakout campaign at Fratton Park, his successful stay at Fratton Park on loan culminating in being named the club’s players’ player of the season.
£22.5m keeper was weighed up by Danny Cowley in the summer of 2022
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Bazunu was to move on to rivals Southampton for an initial £12m fee, with Danny Cowley handed the sizable task of replacing the Republic of Ireland man’s ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
And it was a young Brighton and Hove Albion talent who emerged as a summer consideration, as Cowley took on that challenge.
Carl Rushworth had just enjoyed a decent maiden EFL loan in League Two with Walsall, making 46 appearances and picking up his own player of the season accolades.
The News reported Pompey’s interest in June 2022, but the following month the former Worthing loanee agreed a temporary deal with League One rivals Lincoln City.
That was as Cowley plumped for Josh Griffiths as Bazunu’s successor, who just enjoyed a decent campaign of his own at Sincil Bank.
Rushworth went on to rack up the appearances with the Imps and do likewise the following term at Championship level with Swansea City.
Injuries impacted a 2024-25 stay with Hull City with the 25-year-old recalled in January, but last term proved memorable in Rushworth’s emergence with Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.
The Halifax-born keeper was a league ever-present as the Sky Blues stormed to the Championship title, with his form convincing Lampard to make that stint permanent this summer.
It’s taken a club-record fee to make that a reality, with a long-term contract sealed yesterday for a reported £22.5m.
Rushworth told Coventry’s website: 'I’m really happy, there’s so many emotions that I’ve got.
'There’s excitement, I can finally relax knowing it’s done and that I’m back with the boys and at a Club I loved being at.
'I’m excited to have this new challenge in the Premier League and to be able to call this place home is a big thing I’ve been looking forward to.
'To see the love from the fans and to know I can now get back to playing in front of them, and to get a few pre-season games in, is really exciting. I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere at our first home game after 25 years of waiting to play in the Premier League. It's going to be unbelievable.
'There are too many feelings, too many emotions to put into words but I’m ready for the next chapter.'