got lucky in that we didn't sign him. There was a problem with the medical and it also became a problem when we found out he had a jail sentence. Mohamed Al Fayed was not at all keen on that so the transfer was allowed to collapse and he went to Wigan instead." He signed for Wigan Athletic on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 25 January 2008. Watford chairman Graham Simpson said that King had left for a fee of £3million rising to £4million, dependent on appearances and Wigan keeping their Premier League status, and it was reported that King doubled his wages to £40,000 per week. King scored his first and what turned out to be only goal for Wigan against Blackburn Rovers on 22 March. In August 2008, Premier League newcomers Hull City bid an undisclosed amount for King, which Wigan accepted. City agreed personal terms with King, but the move fell through as he was unable to negotiate the terms of his exit with Wigan. Hull instead took King on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for City, a penalty, on 13 September against Newcastle United, adding a second goal in the second half to win the match 2–1. King's loan at Hull was cut short after he reacted in an "unacceptable manner" when told he was not in the starting line-up for a match against Arsenal, and he was sent home rather than taking his place among the substitutes. On 22 January 2009, King's loan spell with Hull ended and he signed a loan deal with Middlesbrough. He made his debut against Chelsea on 28 January. He scored his first goal for Middlesbrough on 14 March against Portsmouth. King grabbed a goal against his old club Hull on 11 April in a win for the Teessiders. However, the season ended with Middlesbrough's relegation from the Premier League. King returned to Wigan in the summer of 2009 season after his loan spell ended. He mainly found himself on the bench for Roberto Martínez's side. He was sacked in October 2009, following his conviction and sentencing for sexual assault. Coventry City Upon his release from jail former manager Aidy Boothroyd invited King to train with Coventry City to regain his fitness. After impressing during training King and Coventry City became involved in lengthy contract talks which took almost two months to sort out.