Coventry City manager Andy Thorn has said that his 18 year old midfielder Gael Bigirimana will return from his three match ban stronger and better.
Bigirimana, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Saturday by being sent off for the first time in his senior career, was devastated and was still deeply upset as he left The Ricoh Arena after the game.
However, after Thorn issued the player with a stern rebuke for his sending off as well as for a mistake that led to Burnley's equalising goal, the whole of the team, players, coaching staff and management, all rallied round to support Bigirimana.
Speaking to the CT, Thorn said, “We’ve rallied round him but he knows what I think about him, but he’s fine and he’ll bounce back from this. He’s a confident boy and if he was any more laid back he’d be in reverse.
“He’s a massive talent and good footballer and it is inexperience that has cost him at the end of the day. The disappointment is we lose him for three games now.
"When Cody McDonald went off injured it was a big loss but then probably the best footballer on the pitch got sent off and that made it very difficult and as we saw elsewhere over the weekend, it is not easy when you go down to ten men and the other team move the ball.”
“I feel for the kid because he was trying. He’s a marvellous talent and it is frustrating, but sometimes these things happen. He just needs to keep his head down and concentrate on what he’s doing. We all think the world of him here and it’s a lesson learnt, but it will make him a better player.
“The boys were all round him on Monday morning. I asked him if he thought he should be fined and he didn’t think he should be. We’ll look after him. He’s learnt his lesson and we move on and he’s got the character to do that.”
To add to his troubles, Bigirimana turned up late for training on Monday and was facing another rebuke, but as Thorn explained, “The minibus broke down so it was OK and we let him off on that one."