Paper Talk - Joe Ledley Interested In Return

Is it just paper talk or do you think there in any substance in the rumour and would you want him back ?

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Wales midfielder Joe Ledley says it would be "great to go back" to play for Cardiff City.

Ledley is a free agent since leaving Derby County in January and hopes to find a new club ahead of next season.

The Cardiff-born player made over 200 appearances for his hometown club before leaving to join Celtic in 2010.

BBC


Wednesday 1st May 2019

The 32-year-old says he will wait until pre-season before deciding his future but he "wouldn't say no" to a return to his first club.

"Obviously what I've achieved at Cardiff I'm very proud of - you never say no to a challenge like that," Ledley told BBC Sport Wales.

"Everything has changed from when I was there - you'd have to wait and see, but you wouldn't say no.

"My family are all brought up here, my friends are here and I've been away from Cardiff now for 10 years so it would be great to go back but it's not down to me, it's down to them."

The midfielder has also not given up hope of adding to his 77 caps for Wales - his last appearance came against Mexico in Los Angeles in May 2018.

God no !!!!

Severn years ago maybe, we are not a retirement home !!!

Is it just paper talk or do you think there in any substance in the rumour and would you want him back ?

Dobbins, Ledley wants to come back that’s def.

I personally don’t want him back, he’s finished for me.

Ledley couldn’t get in the Derby team after September. He will be a year older when the new season starts. The fact that he hasn’t found a club since speaks volumes. If Newport go up through the play offs he could do a job for them in league 1. It depends how much he wants to play and what they would offer him in wages.

Is it just paper talk or do you think there in any substance in the rumour and would you want him back ?

Dobbins, Ledley wants to come back that’s def.

I personally don’t want him back, he’s finished for me.

I take the point he might not be good enough now. That aside, if he can prove his physical condition to be more than ready, we got Gunnarson and Camarasa leaving so....

Might be a good fit tbh. I'll say it again, Ledley proves he is fit, then the club sign him up

Annis

Me neither we need to build a young competitive squad hungry for success and rewarded appropriately - we have older heads already that have years of experience that they can pass onto the younger players.

This year in premiership will benefit everyone as when the older players move on we can replace with younger players and those that have been here this season will provide the experience for new players coming in.

Back for the game this weekend was hoping there would be more on it but still everything to play for

I'd go for him if we could get 30 games out of it. Unfortunately it would probably be nearer to 3.

Yes to him no to the beard. He played under Neil so I trust the boss to make an informed decision.

Similar to Gunnar, he has gone. For me he was a traditional 8. A good old fashioned central midfield all rounder. He could pass (ish) tackle, shoot all more than adequately but his greatest attribute was mobility, stamina and running beyond the striker.

He couldn't do that any more so converted himself into a defensive stopper (like Gunnar). When Whitts lost his legs (much earlier in his career) he had the technique and skill to set the pace of the game through pass accurately and ball retention (until teams sussed stop Whitts stop Cardiff). Unfortunately for Joe, he can't do that.

I had high hopes for Joe Ralls playing a similar game, but Warnocks 433 doesn't allow the midfield to go tearing off in front of the strikers like Joe in his heyday.

we didn't want him 2 years ago when he made similar overtures..

so not quite sure why he would think that's changed.

He didn’t want to come back when we wanted him so why should we take him back now he wants us....

Great when he was here, lost his way, go ask Newport or Barry Town for a life line

No way Jose. I know we get the " oh it's a short career" etc but he shite on us anyway he finished can't even get in a Derby side.

No thank you. 4-5 years ago yes but his legs are gone, he's 30odd, and hasn't played football in a long time. We cant go back to being a retirement home for players who are looking for one last big pay cheque. If we're looking for that type of player id rather go for players like Ben Pearson, Muhammed Besic, Will Vaulks, even John Obi Mikel who signed a short term deal at Boro in January has been massively impressive and was captain for them the other day would be a better option.

No chance ,over the hill unfortunately , probably league 1 at best.

Nope.

He was too slow when he left. We need to go forwards not backwards.

StT.
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He was too slow when he left. We need to go forwards not backwards.

StT.
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No thank you.

I havent seen Joe play in a while so not sure of his current form / fitness

If he cant get in the derby team - who are a top 8 championship team - then I dont see there being room for him here - unfortunately.

I would rather give a place to a kid from the under 23s. Surely by now we have kids in there that are capable of stepping up ? - if not - then there is not much point in having a development / under 23 system - as it's not doing what it was setup to do.

Either that or the scouting / coaching is not working as planned.

I'm sure he would be interested; but if Joe Ledley wasn't a local, he wouldn't get a mention even in passing

I'm sure he will be suitably refreshed, having taken his annual mid-season break, but his time at Cardiff City FC has long since gone and he is not the answer to the departing Gunnarsson or any other player who may depart this summer

I'm sure no one seriously believes this could happen but I guess both his Agent and the media need to put stuff out there

Sadly not good enough for the championship these days

What's happened to Joe Ledley, the Cardiff City and Wales hero who doesn't have a team anymore
By Tom Coleman

Having achieved legendary status with Wales at Euro 2016, the midfielder has opened up on life without a club


Things haven't gone great for Joe Ledley since Euro 2016 but he still his big hopes for the months and years ahead

"I thought it would be easier, but it hasn't happened at the moment."

There's a noticeably positive tone that permeates Joe Ledley's voice as he attempts to set the record straight about his struggles to find a new club.


The mere sight of that iconic beard, arguably the most famous in Wales, still throws up memories that leave many a Welsh fan misty-eyed, but even his most ardent of backers (and let's face it, there's plenty of them) will have to acknowledge that life hasn't exactly been ideal since those heady days in France.

From the outside looking in, it would be easy to dismiss this as a story of faded glory, a star that has shone as bright as it can, but now seems ready to quietly fade away into darkness.

But, for Ledley, the truth is very different.

"I'm nowhere near ready to retire, I'm only 32!" he insists.


The fact retirement is even whispered as a possibility emphasises the recent difficulties he's faced in his career, which still looks uncertain since his release from Derby County back in January.

Having played over 30 games for the Rams last season as they marched towards the play-offs, Ledley fell out of favour at Pride Park and hasn't played a minute of first team football since August last year. If and when he does secure a deal for next season, he would have effectively been out of the game for a year.

It was his complete exile from the Derby first-team that saw him take the decision to cut and run from the East Midlands, terminating his contract by mutual consent.

"I was obviously getting frustrated," he recalls.

"I wanted to play football and I thought that I should be playing. Basically, I had no chance of playing there.

"I wasn't even travelling and part of me was just thinking 'I can't be doing this for the rest of the season, I'm wasted here.'

"I decided to terminate my contract.

"I'm back at square one and working as hard as I can to try and be ready for next season.

"I'm confident I'll find somewhere. There's offers there but it's one of those where I need to work out if I want to take them or just keep waiting and see what happens."


For a man in his position to be talking about next season with so much confidence arguably seems odd to those looking in, but anyone who's been paying attention to his career in recent years shouldn't be too surprised at his positivity.

After all, this is a man who tried to run off a broken leg in a bid to represent Wales at Euro 2016, and has seemingly come to within spitting distance of the scrap heap before, only to haul himself back off the canvas and punch back twice as hard.

He's a player who's turned bouncebackability into an art form in recent years.


When he casts his mind back on that leg break, missing an FA Cup final with Crystal Palace was only a secondary concern for the proud Welshman, who was hoping to play a big role for his country at the upcoming European Championships.

"I didn't realise I'd even fractured my leg," he recalls. "I tried to play on as I thought it was my calf for some reason.

"I played on for about two or three minutes and I left in a boot. I went and had a scan, saw the break and I was just gutted.

"I thought that was it. I'd played every single game in the campaign and then it's typical that I was now going to miss the Euros. First time we've ever qualified and I'm here with a broken leg!

"I was in oxygen chambers for days and hours and there was a lot of treatments.

"I'd never had treatment like that before, but I was at the stage where I was willing to try anything. Going to the Euros with Wales was one of those opportunities that may never happen again."


Incredibly, Ledley made a remarkable recovery in little more than a month, just in time for the journey to France, where he wrote his name into Welsh footballing folklore after playing a key part in arguably the greatest side this country has ever produced.

It was the sort of high that few Welsh players have ever been lucky enough to experience, and he still believes he carries a small piece of that magic now.

"It was an unbelievable achievement and I don't think it will get bigger than that," he explains. "I hope it does but it would be difficult to beat it on a personal level.

"It was only three years ago and you don't become a bad player overnight from that."


Nevertheless, a year later he was left looking for a club after being released by Palace - a search that wouldn't end until the September, well after the season had started.

Perhaps predictably, there was talk of a move back to hometown club Cardiff City but, after several months in the wilderness, he eventually signed for Derby, where he once again picked himself up off the canvas to remind everyone of his qualities.

However, the combination of an increased number of midfield options following the arrival of Frank Lampard, and time out with a hip injury, ultimately spelled the end of his Rams career.


It was another low, but previous experience has clearly allowed the player himself to look on the bright side of a bad situation, whether it be a horrific injury or indeed being left without a club.

In fact, he believes that in terms of fitness, the shackles are off, allowing him to get himself into the best shape of his life.

"When I left Crystal Palace after the Euros, I hadn't signed for Derby until mid-September," he remembers.

"That was three or four months of waiting around. I was still strong mentally, I worked hard and I kept my fitness up. I felt fitter than I've ever been and it's the same now.

"You do training at clubs and after certain distances you hit, you stop. When you're working by yourself, you don't set yourself a distance and when to stop, you just stop when you can't move any more, and that's why I'm so fit at the moment.

"I'm determined. I just want the chance to find a club and play football again."


Indeed, Ledley looks in terrific shape right now, and it's clear there's one thing that keeps him going - the prospect of pulling on a Wales shirt again.

"I can't expect to be playing for my national team when I haven't got a club. But when I get a club and I'm settled, playing and showing everyone what I can do, I'm sure I can get back into the squad and hopefully start playing again.

"I've played for my country 70-odd times so I'm still keen to play for them and be in the squad, but that's not down to me at the end of the day. I've got to do my talking on the pitch for a club when I find them.

"Play well and then see what happens. It's down to Ryan Giggs."


Similarly, the city of Cardiff too, remains close to his heart, although the circumstances of his departure from the club he'd been with since the age of nine caused quite a stir at the time.

With Ledley's contract up in 2010, Cardiff had seemingly agreed a compensation package with Stoke City worth £3 million ahead of a potential move.

However, when Scottish giants Celtic came calling, it proved too good to resist for the 23-year old and, due to FIFA rules, Cardiff were left empty-handed financially.

"There were a few Premier League teams interested, but again it was one of those when we were a little bit unsure because we've had to go to court and agree compensation and no one knew how much it would be.

"I can understand the frustration from Cardiff's point of view, but the last three or four transfer windows, I'd had a £6 million offer they could have accepted from Stoke, Wigan, Everton, there were a lot of teams.

"It was down to me to see it out. We went to the play-off final and lost. I was devastated and just thought I needed a new challenge."


Ledley has nothing but fond memories of his time in Glasgow - and the madly passionate fans that have given Celtic a reputation as one of the world's best supported clubs.

"Celtic Park is three times bigger [than Ninian Park]. It's more on top of you, with louder fans and a better atmosphere.

"It was for me, the best place I ever played."


Nevertheless, his early experiences at Ninian Park still proved crucial in helping to shape his career, and arguably helped the young Ledley fall in love with the game with a passion that still burns just as brightly today.

"You're sat there as a fan and you're always picturing yourself running out on the pitch, scoring goals and making tackles, making passes.

"You're determined to play the game, especially when it's your hometown club who you've supported. That's what I wanted to achieve."


Back then, Cardiff were something of a rough and tumble outfit, and were some distance away from the side we know today both on and off the pitch. The club were languishing in the lower leagues in front of crowds that were barely a fraction of the ones seen at the Cardiff City Stadium today, and yet Ledley couldn't help but get taken in by it, thriving in an environment where grit and hard graft meant absolutely everything.

Even when he broke into the first team as a bright-eyed 17-year old back in 2004, there was little room for getting carried away, and he was never too far away from a reminder of his place in the dressing room.

"I was still playing, and I'd have to clean Kav's [Graham Kavanagh] boots straight after!" he laughs. "It kept me down to earth. Nothing went to my head and that's what you need to do.

"Some players these days let things get to their heads, but they've got to stay level-headed and keep working as hard as possible.

"I've always kept in touch with Cardiff. I always look at their results. My mates are Cardiff fans, I'm a Cardiff fan, and I think they've been fantastic this season."


So then, could a glorious homecoming be on the cards?

"It's not really down to me," he admits.


One thing's for sure, you sense that his never-say-die attitude, which has served him so well in his career, should see him find a new challenge very, very soon.

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He didn't want us now we don't want him.

its a no from me but i can see it happening

If he wants to come back to Cardiff, let him buy a ticket like everyone else, he'd be welcome, but not on the pitch.

Of course he wants to come back. There seems to be no other options available from what I see as he’s shot as a player even at championship level.
He’s going through a huge and expensive renovation project on an expensive house he has in Penarth so I’d imagine he’s pretty desperate to get a contract.
A huge NO from me. Several years too late for the water carrier.

If he loves the area so much our cousins down west may offer him a deal or even cuwnty on our other side but unfortunately not good enough for us now.

If he loves the area so much our cousins down west may offer him a deal or even cuwnty on our other side but unfortunately not good enough for us now.

Cewnty in League One, if promoted, would be a perfect fit

In fairness,the club are on the lookout for program sellers so it might be worth a shout