Former Toon Gael Bigirimana Enjoying his Time at Coventry

Let's take a minute and be proud that Gael Bigirimana is happy and enjoying his stay at Coventry City after the nightmare that was his Newcastle United tenure. After signing with the North East club from Coventry City, the Burundian midfielder found himself right back in the arms of those he left when leaving for "bigger and better things".

But Newcastle United had proven to Bigi that bigger is not always better. A falling out with former manager Alan Pardew and the belief that he didn't fit in with his teammates really hurt the midfielder's impression of the club, despite working hard to prove himself.

The departure of Bigi is one that we could have seen coming, however. Newcastle United has never done a good job of maintaining a strong youth mentality. The young players are often mishandled and never given a true chance to prove themselves.

The Coventry Telegraph has an amazing exclusive interview with Bigi that I think you guys should take a look at. It certainly goes in depth about his problems at Newcastle, and his prospects for the future. An interesting tidbit was that he was offered a long-term contract with the Blues but turned it down to a baby being on the way and him wanting to sooner commit to being a father.

Coventry is also going through tough times of its own, and Bigi wants to be sure that he'll be part of a long-term future before committing to the club. It is good to see something good came of it.

And yet, Gael Bigirimana is a player that Coventry fans love this season. Putting in the work and pushing himself to new heights, it's the Gael Bigirimana that when Newcastle fans got to see him, they loved. Sadly, like so many young players, Newcastle United mishandled his situation, and practically forced him out of the club.