3: Ben Coker
Lincoln City league record: 0 appearances, 0 goals.
Ben Coker’s inclusion this high on the list might appear severe because his signing was always a calculated gamble. Danny and Nicky Cowley brought him to Lincoln City while he was recovering from a serious knee injury, having previously established himself as an accomplished League One left-back with Southend United. The deal was kept relatively quiet at first, perhaps because announcing the signing of a player who was not close to fitness would have been difficult to sell. The belief was that City could support his recovery and eventually gain a proven player at the level.
By the time Coker was ready to play, the people who had signed him were no longer at the club. Michael Appleton showed little inclination to include him, and it remained unclear whether the defender ever returned to the physical level required. He made one appearance of around an hour in the EFL Trophy but did not feature in the league, eventually leaving without a league appearance or goal to his name. Coker subsequently built a respectable career at a decent level, although generally below League One. The injury and managerial change provide mitigation, but signing someone of his pedigree and receiving no league contribution still makes the move a failure.
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