FORMER Sky Blues fan’s favourite Jim O’Brien has admitted he had personal matters during his time at the Ricoh Arena following his move to the Shrewsbury Town this month.
The 28-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a two-year deal at Greenhous Meadow after being released by Tony Mowbray this summer.
O’Brien was originally signed by Steven Pressley two years ago and was firm regular under the Scot having made over 40 appearances in his debut, but O’Brien struggled to hold down a first team place under Mowbray.
It is understood the pair fell out over a lack of first team opportunities and a loan move to Scunthorpe back in January followed before he was released earlier this summer.
“Coventry is a very good club and it probably never worked out as it should have there but that was personal matters more than football and just being away from my family so I will learn from that and I will get a place in Shrewsbury because I don’t want to be commuting from Yorkshire,” O’Brien told Shrewsbury Town’s official website.
“I will find that balance a lot better now. I thought I could handle it with the travelling but then I was out the team for a bit and it was tough to take when you are sitting in a hotel for half the week.
“I have learnt from that and I will be getting myself a base here so I am looking forward to the next chapter.”
Despite becoming a firm fan’s favourite during his two-year spell with the Sky Blues, O’Brien seemed to take a swipe at his former club.
He added: “Everything here is lovely – it is really new and it is not a club that is living beyond its means in terms of building big stadiums that they can’t fill which can be the case in league one. “Everything is fresh and I quite like the colours actually!
“He has signed a couple of warriors so hopefully they can do my tackling for me and look after me in there!
“I am looking forward to it and it is a statement of intent with the players the club have brought in. They have all been good business.
“He wants to take this club up the right end of the table. Once you get up there anything can happen. That is the goal and I like the ambition.
“Like I say it is a nice club, the stadium looks really fresh and new and it looks like a good place to come to work.”
O’Brien became Micky Mellon’s seventh summer signing earlier this month and is determined to make his mark at Shrewsbury having recovered from a recent groin injury.
O’Brien continued: “I had an operation on my groin because I tore it off the bone so that was interesting. That was six weeks before the season finished so I am good and raring to go.
“I have worked the whole summer so when you are seeing pictures of the lads on the beach it is hard to take when you are in the gym every day but you push yourself and motivate yourself.
“I wasn’t going on holiday this summer because of my injury. I have been working really hard to get back and I am feeling good now. I will get a week away with my family now to relax.”
