Coventry City’s £2 million Bosnian signing Muhamed Konjic is ready for everything that the Premiership throw at him after surviving the war in his troubled homeland.

The 28-year-old national captain has moved to Highfield Road from Monaco and is expected to make his debut against Liverpool at the end of the season – but just five years ago he had to swap his boots for a gun.

He said:

"At one point I thought my football career was over because of the war. I was playing in the Yugoslavian First Division and had to become a soldier. We were being attacked it was a case of fight or die.

"It was a very difficult time. I couldn’t do any training for eight months and it was probably when I was playing some of my best football."

He moved to Croatia, and spent three seasons with Zagreb playing in the Champions League.

He added:

"There was no point in sending money back because the price of supplies was crazy. A kilo of coffee cost £500 so I would make up parcels of food and medical supplies and send it home.

"We had to make do with very little food during the war but life is getting better there all the time and people are a lot happier now."

Konjic has returned to France while he applies for a work permit but is expected back in three weeks.

"Liverpool is a special match because it is a big game for the club and hopefully my debut. I rang my friend John Collins at Everton, who I was with at Monaco, and he told me that Coventry is a good club with a good manager."