Coventry Telegraph back page: January 18

FREDDY Eastwood has vowed to continue to knuckle down to get fit and fight to get back in the first-team picture at Coventry City.

The striker made only his second appearance of the season on Saturday when he was given ten minutes at the end of the Sky Blues’ narrow 1-0 defeat at Derby.

And that appears to have given him a taste for what he’s been missing for the last six months when he has struggled so much with his weight and fitness that manager Andy Thorn has been unable to play him.

Asked if he thinks the criticism has been justified, he said: “It’s hard to say.

"When I have been fit I have felt quite good but I have also been injured on and off during that time.

“But if the manager says I am not fit enough then I am not fit enough. It’s as simple as that.

"He’s the manager and if I am not sharp enough, I am not sharp enough and I have got to do something about that myself. But hopefully I have done that now and got myself back in the squad.”

He added: “There’s definitely no problem between me and the manager.

"He’s told me a few home truths, that I am a little bit overweight and not quite fit enough.

"I need to look at that myself because I am old enough and professional enough to address that because it is not his fault that I’ve put a bit of weight on.”