' What happened to the 29 Cardiff City players '

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' What happened to the 29 Cardiff City players '

Postby Forever Blue » Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:57 pm

What happened to the 29 Cardiff City promotion-winning heroes from just two years ago who have each left the Bluebirds

The Bluebirds have just seven players remaining from the squad which earned promotion to the Premier League in 2017/18

By Glen Williams

Friday 9th October 2020


Following Callum Paterson's exit to Sheffield Wednesday last week, a photo did the rounds on social media which struck a chord with many Cardiff City fans.

It was a snapshot inside the Bluebirds dressing room after they had won promotion to the Premier League back in May 2018, featuring Paterson, Joe Bennett, Bruno Manga, Lee Peltier and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

Of those five, only Bennett remains a Bluebird.

In fact, only seven players in this current squad were part of that epic, promotion-winning team of two years ago; Bennett, Sol Bamba, Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Lee Tomlin, Junior Hoilett and youngster Mark Harris, who made two appearances that season.

As we all know, experience is crucial in English football's battle-hardened second tier and last season City prided themselves on the wealth of knowledge and promotion know-how it had within the squad.

It would be a stretch, perhaps, to say that now.

So, what happened to Neil Warnock's promotion heroes? We take a look...



Neil Etheridge

A stellar servant to Cardiff City football club. Was brought in on a free transfer and became a top-class goalkeeper for the Bluebirds, going on to become the club's Player of the Season in the Premier League.

He was ousted by Alex Smithies last term, though, and left this summer for Birmingham City in search of game time.




Brian Murphy

Replaced by Etheridge when the Philippines international came in and never got a look-in thereafter. Was signed on a short-term deal by Warnock last summer but eventually released by Neil Harris in January.

Now plays for his hometown club, Waterford.

Lee Camp

Lee Camp signed for the Bluebirds in the summer of 2017, but was shipped out to Sunderland on loan in the following January and was released by Cardiff at the end of the season.

Spent the last two years at Birmingham City but is now a free agent.





Lee Peltier

Another player who gave his all during his five-year stay at Cardiff City, but perhaps fell victim to the club wanting to cut the age of the squad.

The veteran right back saw his contract terminated in January before immediately signing for West Brom, who went on to earn promotion to the Premier League. He signed an extension with the Baggies this summer.





Bruno Manga

Manga was a player who all City fans warmed to, an excellent defender who could really have gone on to become a City stalwart.

However, following relegation from the Premier League, Manga sought to move back to France for personal reasons and signed with Ligue 1 club Dijon, for whom he is now captain.






Jazz Richards

The Wales international was plagued by injuries during his time in the Welsh capital.

He manged a touch less than 60 games over the course of four seasons but, at 29, both the player and the club felt the time was right for him to leave in the summer. He is still unattached.




Greg Halford

Greg Halford was brought in from Rotherham United in January 2017 and did an excellent job for the Bluebirds over the course of his 18-month stay with the Bluebirds.

Was let go at the end of his contract, just before the Premier League season, and was picked up by Aberdeen in February 2019. The 35-year-old left at the end of the season and has not played since.




Matthew Connolly

Another player who served the club brilliantly in his eight years there, turning out in a number of positions when needed.

His final year was a difficult one at Cardiff City, having to undergo two operations on his ankle, and he struggled to really get fully fit. He was released in the summer upon the end of his contract and is still a free agent.




Callum Paterson

This was a hard one to swallow for Cardiff City fans, who had grown to love the Scot's hard-working mentality and purple patches of goalscoring form.

However, he struggled to find consistency and a regular position and if he wanted regular football he had to move elsewhere. He signed for Sheffield Wednesday last week in a deal believed to be worth around £500,000.





Armand Traore

The left back was brought in on loan from Nottingham Forest at the back end of that promotion-winning campaign, scoring one goal in his four appearances in a Bluebirds shirt.

He was signed as left-back cover in November last year, but only on a short-term deal. The club released him in January this year and he is yet to find another club.





Kadeem Harris

Another player many City fans were sad to see leave the club, given his longevity at the club.

But, following the Premier League campaign, Neil Warnock told him he was at the stage of his career where he needed to go out and get games, so that's what he did, earning a move to Sheffield Wednesday. He has become an important player for Garry Monk up at Hillsborough.




Liam Feeney

Another player brought in as cover, Feeney signed on a loan deal from Blackburn ahead of the 2017/18 campaign and made 16 appearances in all competitions.

He moved to Blackpool thereafter, although he penned a loan move to Tranmere Rovers ahead of this season.







Anthony Pilkington

A player who earned the respect of Cardiff City fans during his five years at the club, Pilkington left after helping the club earn promotion in 2018.

He went to Wigan Athletic on an 18-month deal in January 2019 and this week he is nearing a move to Robbie Fowler's East Bengal after agreeing personal terms.




Aron Gunnarsson

A bona fide City legend whose spell at the club spanned two Premier League seasons. But he left in 2019 in search of new challenges and found them in the form of Qatari club Al-Arabi.

The 31-year-old made almost 300 appearances for the Bluebirds in his eight seasons at the club.




Nathaniel Mendez-Laing

A winger who many thought could go on and become a real City hero, with blistering pace and ox-like power, Mendez-Laing was one of City's most potent wing weapons both in the Premier League and the Championship, having signed him from Rochdale back in 2017.

However, after not being used in any of the club's pre-season matches, City made a bombshell statement on the eve of this Championship season to confirm his contract had been terminated due to a "breach of terms". He remains unattached.




Loic Damour

Signed from French club Bourg-en-Bresse Péronnas, Damour was a handy, back-up midfield player for the Bluebirds both in the Championship and Premier League.

But after relegation, Warnock decided he wasn't in the club's plans and the player signed for Scottish club Hearts last summer, where he still plays.



Craig Bryson

A box-to-box type of midfielder, Bryson was signed on loan from Derby County for the promotion season and featured 22 times for the Bluebirds.

He was offered a new contract by Derby at the end of his loan stint at City, but rejected it in favour of a move to his native Scotland, where he signed for Aberdeen. He moved to St Johnstone ahead of this season.




Marko Grujić

The Liverpool loanee played a big part in City's end-of-season charge to promotion, having joined on a short-term deal in January 2018.

He has spent the last two seasons on loan at Hertha Berlin before sealing another loan move to Porto earlier this week.

Stuart O'Keefe

Having signed from Crystal Palace, O'Keefe spent five years with the Bluebirds, accruing 45 appearances in total amid a succession of loan spells away from the club.

He was let go after the Premier League campaign and the midfielder subsequently played for Gillingham last term.




Danny Ward

Ward was a player who showed much promise and at times a marksman-like composure in front of goal, but his frustrating relationship with injuries hampered his time at Cardiff City.

As his contract wound down last term, it became a constant talking point among the Bluebirds fan base. However, he was released and picked up by his former club Huddersfield on a free transfer.




Kenneth Zohore

After two decent seasons in front of goal, City fans hoped Zohore would do the business in the Premier League, but it never quite worked out that way.

When West Brom tabled an £8m bid to take him to The Hawthorns last summer, Cardiff thought it was too good to turn down. He has scored three goals in 15 league appearances for the Baggies since his move.





Ibrahim Meite

Bought as a prospect from Isthmian League's Harrow Borough, Meite made only two senior appearances for the Bluebirds before being sold to League Two Crawley Town after City's promotion season.

He signed for League of Ireland side Derry City back in July.




Jamie Ward

Jamie Ward made four Championship appearances of the Bluebirds during that promotion season, while on loan from Nottingham Forest.

He was picked up by League Two Scunthorpe United on a short-term deal at the beginning of last season, but has recently signed for non-league Solihull Moors on a one-year deal.




Matthew Kennedy

Kennedy was signed from Everton as a young prospect back in 2015, but opportunities were slim for the winger.

He played just two matches in the promotion season, after which City released him. He went on to sign for St Johnstone before moving to Aberdeen last season, where he still plays.




Yanic Wildschut

The winger was another Neil Warnock loan signing, this time from Norwich City, during the promotion season.

He played 10 Championship games and failed to register a goal. After another year on loan at Bolton, the Dutchman headed off to Israel to sign for Maccabi Haifa last year. He still plays there.






Gary Madine

The great myth of Gary Madine. Signed for £6m from Bolton in January 2017, the striker did not score a single goal in his three-year stay at the club.

The club terminated his contract 18 months early back in January and the player signed for League One Blackpool.





Omar Bogle

Bought for £700,000 from Wigan in August 2017, Bogle had a frustrating three years with the Bluebirds. He made only 24 appearances for City, scoring four goals, and took in loan spells at various clubs, most recently ADO Den Haag in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Bogle was released upon his return this summer and is yet to find a new club. The 27-year-old striker posted a cryptic image on his Instagram of boots being hung up, but did not respond when WalesOnline asked if it meant he had retired from the game.





Rhys Healey

Spent six years at Cardiff City, but never really nailed down a first-team spot.

He was released after the Premier League season and picked up by League One MK Dons, for whom he was utterly prolific, scoring 12 goals in 20 games last term.

His form earned him a tremendous move to Ligue 2 outfit Toulouse in France, where he has scored one goal in his first four games.







Frédéric Gounongbe

Gounongbe signed on a free in the summer of 2016, but the striker completely failed to fire during his time with the Bluebirds, not registering a goal in 15 appearances.

He retired after that promotion season owing to injury and went on to university to attain a degree in asset management.
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