# Ellis Simms
**Ellis Reco Simms** (born 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Coventry City in the Premier League. He is right-footed and came through the Everton academy, with senior loan spells at [Blackpool](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackpool), Hearts, and [Sunderland](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunderland) before joining Coventry in July 2023.[1](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/982284/ellis-simms) • [2](https://www.toffeeweb.com/players/profiles/Simms.php)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / born | Ellis Reco Simms, 2001, England; right-footed striker[1](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/982284/ellis-simms) • [3](https://www.tifolab.com/players/138786?season=2026%2F27) |
| Youth career | Manchester City academy, released at 16; joined Everton in 2017[2](https://www.toffeeweb.com/players/profiles/Simms.php) |
| Loan record | Blackpool 2020/21: 10 goals in 23 League One games; Hearts 2021/22; Sunderland 2022/23: 7 goals in 17 Championship games[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career) |
| Coventry move | July 2023, four-year contract, undisclosed fee rumored at £3.5m with add-ons potentially taking it to £6m–£8m[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ellis-simms-265577/) • [2](https://www.toffeeweb.com/players/profiles/Simms.php) |
| Coventry league totals | 136 league appearances and 33 goals from 2023 to the present, including 13 goals in each of 2023/24 and 2025/26[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career) |
| Promotion | Member of the Coventry side that won the 2025-26 Championship and returned to the Premier League after 25 years away[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/coventry-city-are-set-to-break-their-transfer-record-for-carl-rushworth-theyll-need-to-do-it-again) |
## Youth career and Everton
Simms was in the Manchester City academy until his release at the age of 16, after which Everton picked him up in 2017.[2](https://www.toffeeweb.com/players/profiles/Simms.php) He scored heavily at youth level: Opta's career record credits him with 32 goals in 21 U18 Premier League games in 2018/19 and 8 goals in 15 Premier League 2 games in 2019/20.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career) He was first named on Everton's bench for a Premier League game at Sheffield United on 20 July 2020.[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ellis-simms-265577/)
**Loans for development.** In January 2021 he moved to Blackpool for the rest of the 2020/21 season, scoring 10 goals in 23 League One appearances.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career) A planned further spell was disrupted by injury, and in January 2022 he joined Hearts of the [Scottish Premiership](https://www.edgepedia.org/scottish-premiership) on loan, where he scored seven goals in 21 games and helped the club qualify for the Europa League play-offs.[7](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62346075)
**Premier League debut and Sunderland.** In July 2022 Sunderland took him on a season-long loan under Alex Neil, who expected him to complement striker Ross Stewart.[7](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62346075) He scored twice on his Sunderland debut in a 3-2 win at Bristol City in August and reached seven goals in five months, after which Everton recalled him on 1 January 2023.[8](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64134878) Back at Everton for the second half of 2022/23, he made 11 Premier League appearances, mostly as a substitute, and scored once.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career) • [9](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/218997/ellis-simms/career)
## Coventry City
Coventry signed Simms in July 2023 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported as a base of around £3.5m with appearance and promotion add-ons that could raise the total to £6m–£8m.[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ellis-simms-265577/) • [2](https://www.toffeeweb.com/players/profiles/Simms.php) His league output has alternated between strong and lean seasons: 13 goals in 46 Championship games in 2023/24, 6 goals in 43 games in 2024/25, and 13 goals in 43 games in 2025/26.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career) In cup competitions his best return came in the 2023/24 [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup), with 6 goals in 6 games.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career)
**Promotion and the Premier League.** Coventry won the 2025-26 Championship under manager [Frank Lampard](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-lampard), ending a 25-year absence from the Premier League, and Simms entered the top flight with the club in 2026/27.[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/coventry-city-are-set-to-break-their-transfer-record-for-carl-rushworth-theyll-need-to-do-it-again) His early Premier League minutes have been limited: Opta records 4 league appearances and 117 minutes in 2026/27, with one goal.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career)
## Playing style
Simms is a physical, box-oriented center-forward rather than a counter-attacking runner, rated for holding up the ball and attacking crosses and arrivals.[10](https://fafifa.com/player/ellis-reco-simms) Coventry supporters' analysis describes his main limitations as a lack of pace and movement into scoring positions, which is why Lampard has rarely selected him ahead of fellow striker [Haji Wright](https://www.edgepedia.org/haji-wright) when both are fully fit; the same analysis notes that he now needs less time to play himself into form than in his earlier back-up season.[11](https://sidewayssammy.com/2026/04/07/125-games-in-ellis-simms/) Early in his Coventry spell he struggled against more physical defenders and was often caught offside before adapting his overall play.[12](https://files.captivate.fm/library/e08de53b-9054-43e1-98ad-eca34de5d76a/Ep-72.pdf)
## References
1. [Ellis Simms – stats, career and market value, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/982284/ellis-simms)
2. [Ellis Simms, ToffeeWeb Everton Player Profile](https://www.toffeeweb.com/players/profiles/Simms.php)
3. [Ellis Reco Simms, Tifolab player profile](https://www.tifolab.com/players/138786?season=2026%2F27)
4. [Ellis Simms Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/728/ellis-simms/career)
5. [Ellis Simms Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/ellis-simms-265577/)
6. [Coventry City are set to break their transfer record for Carl Rushworth, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/coventry-city-are-set-to-break-their-transfer-record-for-carl-rushworth-theyll-need-to-do-it-again)
7. [Ellis Simms: Sunderland loan striker from Everton, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62346075)
8. [Ellis Simms: Everton recall striker five months into season-long loan with Sunderland, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64134878)
9. [Ellis Simms Coventry City Forward, Profile & Stats, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/218997/ellis-simms/career)
10. [Ellis Simms, FC 27 rating and profile, FAFIFA](https://fafifa.com/player/ellis-reco-simms)
11. [125 Games In: Ellis Simms, Sideways Sammy](https://sidewayssammy.com/2026/04/07/125-games-in-ellis-simms/)
12. [Ep 72 podcast transcript featuring Ellis Simms analysis](https://files.captivate.fm/library/e08de53b-9054-43e1-98ad-eca34de5d76a/Ep-72.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Forwards and strikers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license