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NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:20 am

Neil Etheridge has completed his transfer to Birmingham City in a deal which could potentially net Cardiff City £2m , £800,000 now plus add ons.


The deal
Link
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=217159 :bluebird: :bluebird:


The Bluebirds had been eager to streamline their goalkeeping options this summer, with Alex Smithies, Etheridge and Joe Day all on the roster.

Neil Harris felt there was an imbalance and wanted to address that as a matter of priority.

The manager felt the sale of Etheridge made the most business sense, given he had the most transfer value and only 10 months left to run on his contract.

It means the Bluebirds will net a potential £2m from the sale of the Philippines international and all fans will surely acknowledge that the Midlands club are getting a top goalkeeper at this level.




NEIL ETHERIDGE:


"Firstly I’d just like to take the time to say a massive thank you to Cardiff City FC for everything they’ve done for me," Etheridge, who signed a four-year deal at St Andrew's, wrote on Instagram.

"The past 3 years we’ve had such an amazing time together, being promoted in my first season to the Premier League, and even though we were relegated we gave it a right go in the best league in the world!

"I would like to thank all you guys, the supporters for everything, all the people behind the scenes that make that club run so that we as players can get out there end entertain and of course all the players and friends that I played with during my time with the club.

"We made some fantastic memories together and I’ll never forget the part the Club and supporters played. I wish the club every success in the future."


“I want first team football and that is the only reason why I have moved on and Cardiff City could not offer me that.”



Etheridge was the Bluebirds' Player of the Season during their 2018/19 Premier League campaign, making the second-most saves out of any goalkeeper in the division.

Etheridge was highly rated in the Premier League with offers of £8mill from West Ham, but Cardiff at the time wanted £10mill.

But he sustained a nasty hamstring injury during the first game of last season, away to Wigan, and that was the beginning of a difficult campaign for him.

He managed to wrestle his way back into the side past Smithies, but while his glovework remained top notch, it was his distribution which proved a bone of contention.

Smithies took the gloves and was sensational, winning WalesOnline's vote for Player of the Season, while narrowly finishing second to Lee Tomlin in the club's official vote.

It means Day from Newport County will now move up naturally to the No.2 spot, while 19-year-old George Ratcliffe, the Wales under-21s goalkeeper, will see a clearer pathway to senior football.

Cardiff City wrote in a statement: "Having signed for the Bluebirds as a free agent in May 2017, Neil featured in all but one of our league matches of 2017/18 – his 19 clean sheets helping to secure the club's promotion.

"He went on to earn plenty of plaudits for his top-flight displays, again hitting double figures for clean sheets and being named Cardiff City's 2019 Player of the Season in the process.

"We’d like to thank Neil for all of his efforts throughout the time he has been with us.”
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Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:28 am

Best of luck Neil(except against us of course)

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:03 am

Sneggyblubird wrote:Best of luck Neil(except against us of course)


:thumbup: :thumbup:

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:09 am

Great keeper and seemed a genuinely nice person

Good luck to him and I wish him well

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:13 am

All the best Neil,you were a credit to Yourself and Cardiff City.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:43 am

Best of luck to him,he took time to speak to a few of us once and was very talkative

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:58 am

Thanks for everything you did for us Neil. Great keeper and a genuinely tidy bloke.

Good luck in the future. :bluebird:

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:36 am

Agree totall credit to himself and club
Good luck in future fella except against us

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:51 am

You can tell how well respected he is by the comments here. Good guy and I do believe bettered himself with us. Was unlucky to get injured when he did. Fate is a weird one because if he didn't I suspect smithies would have been the one leaving. 2 first class keepers but smithies has shown imho he is the better of the 2.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:58 am

welshrarebit wrote:You can tell how well respected he is by the comments here. Good guy and I do believe bettered himself with us. Was unlucky to get injured when he did. Fate is a weird one because if he didn't I suspect smithies would have been the one leaving. 2 first class keepers but smithies has shown imho he is the better of the 2.


And on Fb, hundreds wishing Etheridge well and say he should be our NO1.

I believe he was dropped to sell and save wages, my opinion.

Also yes we only need 2 keepers, but Day, Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:18 pm

What a shame but good luck i hope there never comes a day when we have to use day.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:26 pm

Forever Blue wrote:
welshrarebit wrote:You can tell how well respected he is by the comments here. Good guy and I do believe bettered himself with us. Was unlucky to get injured when he did. Fate is a weird one because if he didn't I suspect smithies would have been the one leaving. 2 first class keepers but smithies has shown imho he is the better of the 2.


And on Fb, hundreds wishing Etheridge well and say he should be our NO1.

I believe he was dropped to sell and save wages, my opinion.

Also yes we only need 2 keepers, but Day, Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?


I wouldn't be surprised to see George Ratcliffe taking the number 2 spot. Some of the games he played whilst on loan and with the national team, hes been class act. Would be amazing, for one our own taking the number one jersey some day.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:27 pm

'Very top' - The gushing Cardiff City verdict on Birmingham City's 'first class' transfer

Birmingham City have made a massive move in the transfer market by bringing Neil Etheridge to the club

Birmingham live

Friday 11th September 2020



Neil Etheridge has signed for Birmingham City to the delight of many Blues fans and chagrin of many of Cardiff’s.

The goalkeeper has agreed a four-year deal that will see him become Blues’ first choice goalkeeper and a key part of Aitor Karanka’s plans.

He joins after helping Cardiff win promotion to the Premier League and as their best player once they got there.


However, he spent last season on the bench - and the prospect of another campaign behind Alex Smithies.




How will he be remembered at Cardiff?

GW: He will be remembered as a top, top goalkeeper by Cardiff City fans.

He was crucial to the club’s promotion to the Premier League and voted the club’s Player of the Year while in the top flight.

A wonderful shot stopper and a leader, too, which cannot be underestimated during the course of a season.

He will be missed by Cardiff City, but the timing was right for everyone for him to move on.




What did the Cardiff fans think of him?

GW: He was a firm fan favourite and he loved the club, too, as you can see from his heartfelt Instagram post.

He was one of Neil Warnock’s best signings at the club, brought in on a free and won over the fans in a heartbeat.

The club and its fans wish him nothing but the best moving forward.




Where would you rank him in terms of Championship goalkeepers?

GW: Right at the very top. I genuinely believe last season that the Bluebirds had two of the league’s top five goalkeepers in the division and I do not say that lightly.

A genuinely excellent goalkeeper, whose only crime was that Warnock also signed Alex Smithies, who narrowly missed out on winning Player of the Season last year. He, too, is brilliant.

The only downside to Etheridge’s game is that his distribution sometimes lets him down. With the ball at his feet, improvement can be made, but with the gloves, a really classy goalkeeper.




What will he bring to Birmingham City?

GW: He will bring a commanding presence in the box – you will hear him before you will see him!

Etheridge can pull saves out of nowhere and has the ability to be a match-winner.

It really is a first-class signing by Birmingham City, that much I can say with the utmost confidence.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:17 pm

No sell on clause?? Thought that would be standard practice. So if Brum sell him to a prem club next season for £10m we don't get a cut??

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:58 pm

Forever Blue wrote:
welshrarebit wrote:You can tell how well respected he is by the comments here. Good guy and I do believe bettered himself with us. Was unlucky to get injured when he did. Fate is a weird one because if he didn't I suspect smithies would have been the one leaving. 2 first class keepers but smithies has shown imho he is the better of the 2.


And on Fb, hundreds wishing Etheridge well and say he should be our NO1.

I believe he was dropped to sell and save wages, my opinion.

Also yes we only need 2 keepers, but Day, Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?


I believe he was dropped due to his distribution, my opinion. Day steady nothing spectacular but think Ratcliffe will take the number 2 shirt, can't believe we got people saying selling NE has left us short but complain when there's no money to spend!
Good saving on wages to get another number 10 in and a Welsh international keeper as our number 2, happy days.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:19 pm

Good Luck To The Lad .

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:54 pm

If Smithies did get injured we would be able to bring in an emergency loan goalkeeper at anytime throughout the season.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 6:03 pm

I have always believed Neil has the ability to become a top class regular Premier League keeper one day. Unfortunately it won't be with Cardiff City. Good luck to him.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:29 pm

Forever Blue wrote:
welshrarebit wrote:You can tell how well respected he is by the comments here. Good guy and I do believe bettered himself with us. Was unlucky to get injured when he did. Fate is a weird one because if he didn't I suspect smithies would have been the one leaving. 2 first class keepers but smithies has shown imho he is the better of the 2.


And on Fb, hundreds wishing Etheridge well and say he should be our NO1.

I believe he was dropped to sell and save wages, my opinion.

Also yes we only need 2 keepers, but Day, Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?



I get the doubts around day,but do you really believe etheridge was dropped to sell ?as that would not be a clever way of making sure we got a fee for him? Probably the reason he has gone for a smaller fee than we all believe he is worth,is the fact he was being viewed as a number two?? Hardly a good way of drumming up a decent fee? Don't forget we just paid him a mill to warm the bench.what if brum hadn't come in? Another mill in wages,and he could leave on a free at the end of his contract.dropping him to sell,and get wage off bill,is very risky strategy,and instead,we have made a profit on a player,in the 1st time in how long?
It's your opinion I know,but to me it wouldn't be sensible to drop him,to get him off wage bill.? :old: :bluebird:

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:49 am

We cant judge Day on the one or two games he had for us last year and but ignore the tremendous season he had with Newport the season before.
Takes a bit of bedding in with any new player, especially with a high profile position like goalkeeper.
He was immense in Newports cup run against top opposition, a good solid choice for our backup keeper position, and a lot cheaper than keeping ethridge on "just in case".
Loved Ethridge being here and made some wonderful saves, but his distribution was poor and never improved, so it's Smithies for me any day of the week.

Good luck Neil Ethridge with your future away from us, and thanks for all the saves.

Re: NEIL ETHERIDGE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE FROM CARDIFF

Sun Sep 13, 2020 3:38 pm

To be honest etheridge did lose a bit of confidence but other than that he did brilliant for us and never let us down sad to see him go I do wish all the best he will do well for Birmingham city