agreeing last night to join the English Premier League club from Walsall.

But the fee is still to be finalised, with Walsall reportedly wanting 750,000 for their top scorer. A tribunal will have to decide Lightbourne's fee if the clubs fail to reach an agreement.

The move comes five months after Gordon Strachan had an offer of 400,000 turned down in February. Now persistence has paid off for Strachan, who finally gets his man.

This morning Lightbourne will make the 40-minute drive to Coventry's training ground to join his new team-mates on their first day of pre-season training.

"I was hoping for a three-year contract and they offered me a four-year contract which will take me to the age of 32,'' said Lightbourne late last night after a three-hour meeting at Strachan's home, where he was accompanied by his wife, Rosemary, and agent Mark Georgevic.

Georgevic disclosed that 14 clubs in total had shown interest in the Bermudian international, including another Premier team, Sheffield Wednesday.

Lightbourne spoke to their manager David Pleat yesterday but it was Coventry that he decided on.

He becomes the first Bermudian to play in the Premier Division since Clyde Best in the 1970s.

"I just feel this deal is right for me,'' said Lightbourne, who shared the news first with the Royal Gazette .

"Gordon Strachan is a manager I have a lot of respect for and he had a big part in it.'' Georgevic is just as delighted with Lightbourne's decision to join Coventry.

The former Bermuda lawyer, who is also the agent for Island's other English League player, Shawn Goater, is a long time Coventry fan.

"I'm absolutely delighted,'' said Georgevic. "Since I left Bermuda it has been one of my foremost aims to assure that either Shawn or Kyle played at Coventry City.

"But this has absolutely nothing to do with me; he worked exceptionally hard at his game and the credit is due to Kyle. Gordon Strachan has done an awful lot of work in watching Kyle and he's obviously very impressed with what he's seen.'' Lightbourne has scored a total of 76 goals the past three seasons with Second Division Walsall.

Coventry's televised game on August 11 against Arsenal is likely to be seen live in Bermuda on ESPN. No doubt Coventry will now become a popular club with Bermudians.

"I said to Kyle on the way home that when I was in Bermuda there were three Coventry City fans and I expect that to increase dramatically now,'' said Georgevic.

Lightbourne will be in the company of players like Gary McAllister, the Scotland captain, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby, John Salako, Peter Ndluvo, David Burrows, goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic and Noel Whelan. He is their third summer signing following the purchases of Norwegian midfielder Trond Egil Soltvedt and young Welsh striker Simons Howarth. "It's a side that is full of household names and all being well Kyle will also develop into a household name,'' Georgevic said.