Tony Mowbray returns to Coventry City today – and feels he is still reaping the benefits of the relationships he built up while in charge of the Sky Blues.

Liverpool sanctioned Harvey Elliott’s Ewood switch last week with the work Mowbray did with Ryan Kent during the 2015/16 campaign a key factor.

It was then that Mowbray first worked with Adam Armstrong, the pair reuniting 18 months later at Rovers, with the striker topping the club’s scoring charts last season.

Mowbray has been keen to not make Rovers dependant upon loans, avoiding the notoriously difficult first loans with the season-long additions of experienced pair Tom Trybull and Barry Douglas.

While Elliott is something of an exception to Rovers’ recent loan deals, Mowbray said: “We tried to get out of the league that year with those loans and used some relationships we had in the game and teams can trust you with their young players.

“Potentially, young Harvey is here with us because of the job we did with Ryan Kent.”

Kent and Armstrong were two of a crop of young players Mowbray had under his wing as the Sky Blues narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

James Maddison, Armstrong, Jacob Murphy, Jack Stephens and John Fleck have all since gone onto play in the Premier League, with Liverpool later selling Kent to Scottish giants Rangers for £7m.

Elliott made his Rovers bow in the midweek defeat at Watford and will be primed for his second successive start this afternoon.

And Mowbray added: “On the back of his loan here let’s hope Harvey can break into Liverpool’s first-team set-up and be a first-team future, or if not, he’ll have a big future elsewhere and make them a few quid.

“Let’s see how it goes but I do know these young players they need to feel what it’s like in a different environment, hear the wrath of a manager, it’s a benefit to young players to go and play in a team where every point is so important.

“My first impressions are of him this week is that he’s a nice humble kid who’s going to work hard and his quality is very evident to see.

“Hopefully we’re all going to benefit, Adam Armstrong from those balls slid in down the sides, and he’ll hopefully pitch in with a goal or two himself.”