BERMUDA'S Shaun Goater was loaned to struggling Championship side Coventry City yesterday after failing to find a place in promotion-chasing Reading this season.

Goater, who became a legend at Manchester City before moving to Reading, had only played 18 minutes of first-team football at Reading since October.

Now it looks as if he will get his chance to get back to his goal-scoring exploits with Coventry.

And it is goals Coventry will need from 'The Goat' if they are to survive the drop into the First Division.

It became obvious to all that Goater was not going to get a good chance with Reading's first team ? if he had made one more appearance with the first team Reading would have owed Manchester City nearly $100,000 under the transfer agreement.

Goater said yesterday: "I'm pleased, the way my situation here was carrying on it was more and more apparent I wasn't going to play for the first team.

"I want to be playing, and it's a chance to jump into the melting pot with the situation Coventry are in. I'm looking forward to playing in a pressure environment and hopefully helping them out of their position. I've done my best in reserve games but there's not the same pressure of course."

Coventry are third from bottom in the Championship.

City boss Micky Adams said: "Shaun is an experienced centre forward with a reputation for scoring goals. I'm sure he will be a valuable addition to our side and hopefully he'll find the back of the net a few times along the way."

Goater said yesterday: "It's all happened more or less this morning. I trained, the literally the phone rang and it's been non-stop ever since. I cam straight to the ground and it was all agreed."

He added:"I hope to do well for Coventry until the end of the season, then I can come back and weigh things up. Reading are my club, I'll be looking out for their results while doing my very best to help Coventry."

Fellow Bermuda pro and now Bermuda's national coach, Kyle Lightbourne, played briefly for Coventry some years ago when they were in the Premier Division.