Former Lincoln City midfielder Koby Arthur has signed for Leamington following a successful trial with the recently relegated Brakes.
The 30-year-old featured for Scott Easterlow’s side during pre-season and has now agreed terms ahead of the new Southern League Premier Division Central campaign.
Arthur began his career with Birmingham City, making his Championship debut as a 17-year-old in April 2013. He went on to make 12 league appearances for the Blues before leaving St Andrew’s in 2017.
His brief association with the Imps came during the 2013/14 season, when he joined on loan alongside fellow Birmingham youngsters Charlee Adams and Nick Townsend. The initial agreement was for one month, with Arthur making six appearances in total.
Only two of those outings came from the start, with the attacking midfielder substituted at half-time on both occasions. He returned to Birmingham at the end of the loan before spending time with Cheltenham Town, where he scored three times during his first temporary spell.
✍️ Leamington FC are excited to welcome Koby Arthur to the club!
It’s good to have you here, Kobes 👊🏼
🔗 https://t.co/tBL8T8jnug#BackingTheBrakes | #NewEraBrakes pic.twitter.com/BrTWU5PIQT
— Leamington FC ⚽️ (@LeamingtonFC) August 2, 2026
Arthur subsequently moved into non-league football with Macclesfield Town and was part of the squad which won the National League title during the 2017/18 season. He remained with the Silkmen following their promotion and made 20 appearances in League Two during the following campaign.
His later career has included spells with Kidderminster Harriers, Dover Athletic, Maidenhead United, Hereford, Stourbridge, Rushall Olympic, Barwell, Bromsgrove Sporting and Darlaston Town.
Arthur has been training and playing with Leamington during the summer, helping the Brakes win the inaugural Illum Davis Foundation Trophy. They defeated Guernsey on penalties after the competition’s final finished level.
Easterlow believes the former Birmingham youngster still possesses plenty of natural ability, although an injury has disrupted part of his preparation for the new season.
“Kobes is a player with great ability,” he said.
“He just needs to find his best form on regular basis. He’s had a little set back in pre-season with injury but he’s showed us more than enough of what’s he is capable of.”
Arthur joins a Leamington side attempting to recover from a difficult 2025/26 campaign. The Brakes finished bottom of the National League North and were relegated after just two seasons back at Step Two.
Long-serving manager Paul Holleran left the club in December after more than 15 years in charge. Easterlow was appointed as his successor in March, leaving Racing Club Warwick after guiding them to two promotions across his two spells at Townsend Meadow.
By the time Easterlow arrived, Leamington were already facing an extremely difficult battle to preserve their National League North status. He was unable to prevent relegation, meaning the Brakes will now compete at Step Three alongside his former club Racing Club Warwick.