John Eustace believes Coventry City have been a leading example for clubs like Blackburn Rovers of how to build success sustainably.

The Sky Blues travel to Ewood Park with their season effectively over but after one of the most memorable weeks in the club's recent history.

Whilst Mark Robins' side are incredibly unlikely to be involved in the end-of-season promotion play-offs this campaign, their run to the FA Cup semi-final captured the support of Championship neutrals as they took Manchester United to penalties.

Since Robins took over, the club have worked their way up from League Two, all the way to a penalty shoot-out defeat in the Championship play-off final last season. 

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Each year has seen progression, with the club working sustainably to do so. It's been a project of clever player recruitment, ambition and at the core, an excellent manager.

Despite the sales of Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer, which culminated in a slow start, Coventry will still record a top-ten finish and memories from the FA Cup which will last a lifetime.

Eustace, who spent seven years at the club as a player, admitted they are a shining light of how to lay solid foundations to improve.

"I think they are a prime example of how to build," Eustace told The Lancashire Telegraph.

"It's important that you don't change things too quickly to be successful. You have to build, you can't buy. It'll soon catch up with you.

"You have to lay foundations and build properly. They have done that fantastically well and still have some players from League Two.

"It's a good football club that's been given the opportunity to build and progress but develop young players, sell players and earn money for the club. They have done it the right way."

"I was there for seven years, I played with some fantastic players in the Premier League with them," he added.

"I worked with some fantastic managers. It's certainly a club that gave me my first opportunity and I have a lot of friends there.

"They're a big club, they have built properly, the manager has been there for six, seven years. They have a squad that's been on that journey with him and they are reaping the rewards. It's a good football club."

All that said, Saturday is the ideal time for Rovers to play the Sky Blues. Robins admitted his squad is battered and bruised after a physically and emotionally draining week.

With injuries piling up, the manager admitted he may have to blood some youngsters at Ewood Park, with another midweek test to follow after Saturday.

Eustace watched their 3-2 defeat to Hull on Wednesday night and insisted they will still offer plenty of threat even with a few tired bodies.

"I went and watched the game on Wednesday night, they're a fantastic team with a good and big squad," Eustace said.

"They've had a lot of games time of late which we have too recently. It won't be a game where we expect them not to come and be a top team.

"Coventry have fantastic players and I know they'll make it very difficult for us. I don't think they will be leggy, we did it in the Bristol week.

"They have a lot of good players and they can change the team. They brought on some good players at half-time and rested the right people as well.

"It will be a very tough game and one we'll be ready for."