Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:24 am
Nicky Maynard returns to full match action for Cardiff City in a private reserve team friendly against Exeter City today.
The former West Ham striker could yet make an appearance in City’s final Championship match of the season at Hull City and that would be a massive boost to Maynard’s confidence and belief looking ahead to the 2013-14 season.
Today’s friendly is a major step towards a possible Championship return and manager Malky Mackay is delighted, saying: “Just seeing Nicky back out on the training ground has been brilliant. He has made outstanding progress.”
He will follow a personal fitness programme over the summer and will report back for pre-season training earlier than his clubmates, probably around mid-June, and ensure he is ready for City’s Premier League debut.
Maynard has yet to play at Premier League level, but is intent on being fit and firing when the Bluebirds start their top-flight campaign.
It’s been seven months since £2.75m signing Maynard suffered serious knee ligament damage having made only three appearances for the Bluebirds and he has had a long, hard slog back to fitness.
But club medics have been delighted with his progress after surgery and tested his knee during an in-house Bluebirds match earlier this month.
“Nicky has done really well and is ahead of schedule,” said Mackay. “He will only play if he is absolutely ready, but there may yet be something for him in our final match at Hull. We will look at that.
“He would not be picked for sentimental reasons and only if medically and fitness-wise there is a big tick. But the confidence he will gain knowing there could be a shot for him is vast.
“An injury like that is mentally a devastating blow for a player. During afternoons when everybody else has gone home, it’s pouring with rain in mid-December and you are a fair way from fitness, is a tough time.
“Players can be in the gym alone doing exercises on a leg. People don’t see those tough times when self doubt can creep in.
“But Nicky has been great. He has had a lot of support from our staff and to see him back out on the training ground has been brilliant.”
Cheshire-born hitman Maynard, 26, scored 32 goals in 52 league appearances for before making a £1.65m move to West Ham 18 months ago.
He scored twice in nine starts, one of them against City in the Championship play-off semi-finals, but Maynard made the move to South Wales on the final day of the transfer window last August.
Maynard knew his time at West Ham was coming to an end when manager Sam Allardyce signed Andy Carroll on loan from Liverpool and opted to join Malky Mackay’s Bluebirds.
Fraizer Campbell, City’s £650,000 signing from Sunderland in January, and the two strikers will go head-to-head in a quest for Premier goals.
Maynard, who has scored 79 goals in exactly 200 League appearances for Crewe, Bristol City, West Ham and Cardiff, was the final signing for Mackay in the August transfer window.
His debut came in a 3-1 home win against Wolves on the day Craig Noone also made his first appearance – and Peter Whittingham fired a hat-trick.
But, after only three matches, Maynard suffered the injury which kept him out of City’s promotion chase.
He had surgery to mend a torn anterior cruciate ligament and has worked with the club’s medical department on his recovery.
Now he is ready to figure as an over-age player in Cardiff’s Under-21 Premier Development League team against Exeter.
Etien Velikonja, with 13 goals this season, and Rhys Healey, who has scored three goals in three matches, have been leading City’s attack at Development level.
CARDIFF City have narrowly missed out on a second title.
They are kings of Championship football and were top of Premier Development League South, but have been edged out on goal difference.
Charlton Athletic won their final Development match of the season, against Millwall, to take the title with Cardiff runners-up.
Both clubs have qualified for the play-offs. Cardiff will play the North winners, which is likely to be Leicester City, while Charlton could face Derby County. Those matches are still be be arranged.
The former West Ham striker could yet make an appearance in City’s final Championship match of the season at Hull City and that would be a massive boost to Maynard’s confidence and belief looking ahead to the 2013-14 season.
Today’s friendly is a major step towards a possible Championship return and manager Malky Mackay is delighted, saying: “Just seeing Nicky back out on the training ground has been brilliant. He has made outstanding progress.”
He will follow a personal fitness programme over the summer and will report back for pre-season training earlier than his clubmates, probably around mid-June, and ensure he is ready for City’s Premier League debut.
Maynard has yet to play at Premier League level, but is intent on being fit and firing when the Bluebirds start their top-flight campaign.
It’s been seven months since £2.75m signing Maynard suffered serious knee ligament damage having made only three appearances for the Bluebirds and he has had a long, hard slog back to fitness.
But club medics have been delighted with his progress after surgery and tested his knee during an in-house Bluebirds match earlier this month.
“Nicky has done really well and is ahead of schedule,” said Mackay. “He will only play if he is absolutely ready, but there may yet be something for him in our final match at Hull. We will look at that.
“He would not be picked for sentimental reasons and only if medically and fitness-wise there is a big tick. But the confidence he will gain knowing there could be a shot for him is vast.
“An injury like that is mentally a devastating blow for a player. During afternoons when everybody else has gone home, it’s pouring with rain in mid-December and you are a fair way from fitness, is a tough time.
“Players can be in the gym alone doing exercises on a leg. People don’t see those tough times when self doubt can creep in.
“But Nicky has been great. He has had a lot of support from our staff and to see him back out on the training ground has been brilliant.”
Cheshire-born hitman Maynard, 26, scored 32 goals in 52 league appearances for before making a £1.65m move to West Ham 18 months ago.
He scored twice in nine starts, one of them against City in the Championship play-off semi-finals, but Maynard made the move to South Wales on the final day of the transfer window last August.
Maynard knew his time at West Ham was coming to an end when manager Sam Allardyce signed Andy Carroll on loan from Liverpool and opted to join Malky Mackay’s Bluebirds.
Fraizer Campbell, City’s £650,000 signing from Sunderland in January, and the two strikers will go head-to-head in a quest for Premier goals.
Maynard, who has scored 79 goals in exactly 200 League appearances for Crewe, Bristol City, West Ham and Cardiff, was the final signing for Mackay in the August transfer window.
His debut came in a 3-1 home win against Wolves on the day Craig Noone also made his first appearance – and Peter Whittingham fired a hat-trick.
But, after only three matches, Maynard suffered the injury which kept him out of City’s promotion chase.
He had surgery to mend a torn anterior cruciate ligament and has worked with the club’s medical department on his recovery.
Now he is ready to figure as an over-age player in Cardiff’s Under-21 Premier Development League team against Exeter.
Etien Velikonja, with 13 goals this season, and Rhys Healey, who has scored three goals in three matches, have been leading City’s attack at Development level.
CARDIFF City have narrowly missed out on a second title.
They are kings of Championship football and were top of Premier Development League South, but have been edged out on goal difference.
Charlton Athletic won their final Development match of the season, against Millwall, to take the title with Cardiff runners-up.
Both clubs have qualified for the play-offs. Cardiff will play the North winners, which is likely to be Leicester City, while Charlton could face Derby County. Those matches are still be be arranged.
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:22 am
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:58 am
Brilliant news, if he was to play against Hull I hope he gets a goal. Be great to get an extra scorer to our list this season.
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:48 am
DandoCCFC wrote:Brilliant news, if he was to play against Hull I hope he gets a goal. Be great to get an extra scorer to our list this season.
Dont think mr maynard is up to the premier league my blue friend , i think your red friends over the water had the best days out of him
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:02 pm
He's only 26, best days aren't out of someone by 26..
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:08 pm
Misfire wrote:He's only 26, best days aren't out of someone by 26..
Whilst I agree with your statement, I do not believe NM is premier league quality. I would get him fit and let him go personally.
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:10 pm
blue blue electric blue wrote:DandoCCFC wrote:Brilliant news, if he was to play against Hull I hope he gets a goal. Be great to get an extra scorer to our list this season.
Dont think mr maynard is up to the premier league my blue friend , i think your red friends over the water had the best days out of him
f**k me the jealousy runs through you like the shit you spout....
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:10 pm
Wouldn't let him go, but I feel he's not going to lead our attack next season. Worth keeping though.
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:29 pm
maynard is class...
his awareness, movement and play in and around the box is superb... had a part in the penalty against wolves and won us the penalty v leeds. got an assist for whitts in his hatrick..
and he wasnt even match sharp then... did the above in less than 200 minutes of football...
his awareness, movement and play in and around the box is superb... had a part in the penalty against wolves and won us the penalty v leeds. got an assist for whitts in his hatrick..
and he wasnt even match sharp then... did the above in less than 200 minutes of football...
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:10 pm
Misfire wrote:He's only 26, best days aren't out of someone by 26..
it gets harder after a big injury after 25 , 26 onwards some players do some dont, only time will tell
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:26 pm
I wish him luck. I feel he can contribute to us in the Premier League.
Re: Maynard to make return today!
Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:04 pm
Kanester wrote:blue blue electric blue wrote:DandoCCFC wrote:Brilliant news, if he was to play against Hull I hope he gets a goal. Be great to get an extra scorer to our list this season.
Dont think mr maynard is up to the premier league my blue friend , i think your red friends over the water had the best days out of him
f**k me the jealousy runs through you like the shit you spout....
No kanestar just an unbiased opinion of what ive seen. besides why did west ham unload him before the start of this season,
we shall see