'I wish we'd got him!' Cardiff City star's telling transfer

'I wish we'd got him!' Cardiff City star's telling transfer admission to Neil Warnock after Middlesbrough signing

The Bluebirds were keen on the player but their former manager Neil Warnock swooped to sign him from under their noses

By Glen Williams

Sunday 4th July 2021


Cardiff City's Sean Morrison spoke with Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock about Uche Ikpeazu.


Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison was put through the ringer by Uche Ikpeazu last season.

During the first game, away at Wycombe back in December, the mountainous striker blazed through the back of the City skipper and forced his early exit, which ultimately led to the Chairboys coming out on top in a 2-1 win.

The injury ruled him out for three weeks, but Ikpeazu was not done with the tormenting just yet.

Morrison endured an injury lay-off after the win over Swansea City owing to a calf strain, however upon his return, having missed five matches and seeing the Bluebirds' play-off hopes fade drastically, he came up against the formidable Ikpeazu once again.

And the forward once again imposed himself on City's own rock-solid centre-half and inflicted yet more damage.

Just seven minutes into that match in April, Ikpeazu floored Morrison and he had to receive treatment for several minutes on the pitch. He soldiered on for the rest of the match, but it was his last of the season, with City's captain missing the final two matches.

Although Wycombe were ultimately relegated, it seemed only a matter of time before Ikpeazu was back in the second tier.

Indeed, WalesOnline revealed that Cardiff were in fact interested in signing the 26-year-old forward, but Neil Warnock up at Middlesbrough moved swiftly to sign him from under rivals' noses.

While of course Warnock would have done his scouting due diligence, it was also the manner in which Ikpeazu dealt with Cardiff captain Morrison that helped sway the mind of the former Bluebirds boss.

According to Warnock, Morrison even admitted during a recent telephone exchange that he was gutted Cardiff didn't sign Ikpeazu this summer.




NEIL WARNOCK:

Warnock revealed on BBC Tees: “We’ve signed Uche. I can’t tell you his other name. I just call him big man on the training ground and he knows who I mean.

“I really do like him. Yes, he’s gangly and maybe a little bit uneasy on the eye, but he’s so determined and such a great lad. He’s so passionate.

“He had good offers from elsewhere as well I believe, but he said he’d followed my career at Cardiff and others and he knew Middlesbrough, so he always wanted to come here.

“I talk to a lot of people all over our league - people like Sean Morrison, for example.

“I asked him about strikers when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and Uche had put him on the deck and done his knee the first game against him, then he did his shoulder or his elbow second game.

“He didn’t know I was going to sign him, but he was saying ‘flaming heck, I wish we’d got him. He put me on the deck three times’.

“I thought, ‘he’ll do for me’.”

Should Cardiff have signed Uche Ikpeazu? Let us know in the comments section below.

Cardiff have of course already signed a striker, with James Collins having arrived following the expiration of his contract at Luton Town.

Collins is one of three signings already made by the Bluebirds, with midfielder Ryan Wintle having joined from Crewe and centre back Mark McGuiness arriving from Arsenal.

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NEIL WARNOCK:
“I talk to a lot of people all over our league - people like Sean Morrison, for example.

“I asked him about strikers when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and Uche had put him on the deck and done his knee the first game against him, then he did his shoulder or his elbow second game.

“He didn’t know I was going to sign him, but he was saying ‘flaming heck, I wish we’d got him. He put me on the deck three times’.

“I thought, ‘he’ll do for me’.”

Why is Morrison talking striker qualities to another teams manager? Especially IF we were in for him.

I’d like to know where this Glen Williams gets his information from?

He is not frightened to put himself about a bit and there is just a possibility he is a late developer but is scoring record is very poor for a centre forward. Six for Wycombe in 33 games is not terrible for a side that was relegated but not very good either. The previous season he managed 5 in 40 games for Hearts which is poor considering the standard in Scorland. The most he has ever scored in a season was 8 and that was for Cambridge United in league two.

He must have a good agent bogging him up bacause his record suggests a lower division journeyman.

NEIL WARNOCK:
“I talk to a lot of people all over our league - people like Sean Morrison, for example.

“I asked him about strikers when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and Uche had put him on the deck and done his knee the first game against him, then he did his shoulder or his elbow second game.

“He didn’t know I was going to sign him, but he was saying ‘flaming heck, I wish we’d got him. He put me on the deck three times’.

“I thought, ‘he’ll do for me’.”

Why is Morrison talking striker qualities to another teams manager? Especially IF we were in for him.

it doesnt say we were interested....and are you suggesting players should not talk to ex managers , or infact anyone not involved at our club ?

Why is Morrison talking striker qualities to another teams manager? Especially IF we were in for him.

it doesnt say we were interested....and are you suggesting players should not talk to ex managers , or infact anyone not involved at our club ?

You're always a prickly little fucker aren't you.

The piece literally starts with us possibly interested. I used a very noticeable capitalised IF and I didn't say they couldnt talk to each other.

I specifically said should he talk about specific players that both teams MAY BE interested in.

Please acknowledge the capitalised MAY BE.

Why is Morrison talking striker qualities to another teams manager? Especially IF we were in for him.

it doesnt say we were interested....and are you suggesting players should not talk to ex managers , or infact anyone not involved at our club ?

You're always a prickly little fucker aren't you.

The piece literally starts with us possibly interested. I used a very noticeable capitalised IF and I didn't say they couldnt talk to each other.

I specifically said should he talk about specific players that both teams MAY BE interested in.

Please acknowledge the capitalised MAY BE.

so what exactly do you think people involved in football talk mostly about ? ....
i doubt very much SM was the sole reason he signed him...just been put in the remark as he is a CB that NW clearly thinks a lot of who mentioned the boy as a tough opponent.. .. as for the possibly maybe ifs and buts from glen.... they are what they are... one of about 20 he has mentioned in the last month....