“ Mark Harris on leaving Cardiff City and why “

Mark Harris says he's relishing the prospect of a return to the capital - but insists his international recall shows he made the right move in leaving Cardiff City.

Harris 26 years old in a couple of months, left the Bluebirds on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, dropping down a division to join Oxford United.


Mark Harris

"I did get offered a contract at the end of the season that I left Cardiff. I just thought at the time it was better for me to move on and try and get some game time elsewhere.”

"I wasn’t a main starter at Cardiff. I want to go somewhere else, prove myself and become the starting No 9 for a team. I went to Oxford and I haven’t looked back. I just wanted to reignite my career, play games and show what I can do.

"It was tough at Cardiff sometimes playing and sometimes not. I didn’t know what position I was going to be playing in and it just felt like the right time to move on.


Mark Harris who had made nearly 100 appearances for the Bluebirds scored only 9 goals in 6 years.

Even after the Bluebirds sent him out to Wrexham ( Non League) 24 appearances / 3 goals , Newport 16 appearances 2 goals, Port Vale 6 appearances / 0 goals.


Oxford United 47 appearances / 19 goals ( including 15 in League 1 )


After a very slow start and previous years of struggling with Cardiff City, he's since gone on to be a roaring success at the Kassam Stadium, playing a pivotal role in helping the U's win promotion to the Championship last season, netting 19 goals in all competitions.

Harris has continued that red hot scoring form in this campaign, scoring in each of Oxford's four Championship outings so far, a run that has caught the eye of new Wales boss Craig Bellamy, and helped bring the forward back into the international fold after nearly two years away.


"It will be great to be back at CCS and hopefully I can get a few minutes or even a start, who knows," he said ahead of Friday night's Nations League opener with Turkey. "My confidence is pretty high after a good start to the season with Oxford. We’ve had two good home wins and been a bit unlucky with our two defeats away.

"I am just enjoying my football at the moment."

Striker Harris did actually have the option of extending his stay with the Bluebirds shortly before he moved on. But after making nearly 100 appearances and only scoring 9 goals for the club he says he felt the time was right for a fresh start.


"It was a tough decision to leave Cardiff and I found myself out of the squad when I went to Oxford," he added. "To get promoted last season, be back in the Championship and playing and to be back in the Welsh squad is great.

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He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

Or, which many said at the time, he needed to drop a level to develop.

Credit to him. He's clearly improved and found a better fit in a club that are over achieving at the moment.

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

Or, which many said at the time, he needed to drop a level to develop.

Credit to him. He's clearly improved and found a better fit in a club that are over achieving at the moment.

But not drop to Welsh League, Non League or even League 1.

You have to keep that at a high level still.

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

We just seem to make our Strikers, worse, year after year.

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

I wish him all the best too.

He seemed a good pro, a good guy to have around the dressing room. I knew we'd see him again. Always thought he was good infront of goal. He didn't get many chances, but went he did he stuck most away.

Cardiff is a graveyard for strikers not surprised he doing better after moving away

wasnt a graveyard for keiffer

Sadly we’ll be having this conversation about Colwill in the coming years. Why I had to leave Cardiff - because Bulut is a stubborn man

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

Or, which many said at the time, he needed to drop a level to develop.

Credit to him. He's clearly improved and found a better fit in a club that are over achieving at the moment.

Yes he’s found his feet now , I always felt there was a player in there , he just needed to get away from Cardiff , says it all really

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

We just seem to make our Strikers, worse, year after year.

It’s getting clearer now for everyone to see there is something very wrong going on with this club and we know where it all starts from

He played out on the left wing when he played for us most the time that's when he did actually play. He's scoring more because he's up front the number 9 for them and gets service unlike the current crop we have. It also goes off what football the team are playing, we set up the same shitty one isolated upfront every game sadly and nothing changes so it goes off that also. I'm not surprised he's doing well at Oxford with balls over the top and service to be honest as I'm sure they defend more and look for the long ball which is his strength.

Last edited by Bluebird1977 on Wed Sep 04, 2024 2:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

He’s doing awsome , fair play to him
Just shows too that it’s hard / difficult playing for Cardiff , he didn’t even know what position he would be playing , not good .
Wish him all the best

I wish him all the best too.

He seemed a good pro, a good guy to have around the dressing room. I knew we'd see him again. Always thought he was good infront of goal. He didn't get many chances, but went he did he stuck most away.

Totally agree ,
he has a good attitude on him that will get him as far as he wants to go

Obviously Cardiff were not doing him good so he left to improve himself. That's whats happening and the question must be asked why.

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Full respect for Mark, he believed in himself and got out. If its not working for you, make it!!!!

No one can predict the improvement in a player, where their peak is or when a player starts the downgrade and how quick that downgrade happens.

We are on on tenterhooks if Rambo has regressed massively or just finding his touch after 9 months off.

I hope he does well when playing for Wales but nobody on here raised even an eyebrow when he left us because he just wasn't do great. Good luck to him I say, at least he knows which position he'll be playing in now which is more than most Cardiff city players know.

He played out on the left wing when he played for us most the time that's when he did actually play. He's scoring more because he's up front the number 9 for them and gets service unlike the current crop we have. It also goes off what football the team are playing, we set up the same shitty one isolated upfront every game sadly and nothing changes so it goes off that also. I'm not surprised he's doing well at Oxford with balls over the top and service to be honest as I'm sure they defend more and look for the long ball which is his strength.

Oxford play a high pressing game with really good passings.

No long balls.

Someone else said they were over achieving. The opposite. Should have 8 points rather than 6.

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It’s a hot streak after two hot streaks last season.

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It’s a hot streak after two hot streaks last season.

It's horses for courses.

It's no surprise that the hardworking, athletic, quick, and aggressive Mark Harris found a system that suited his characteristics rather than whatever we have been doing for the last three or four seasons. If I were Rubin I'd be looking at Harris and do some serious thinking

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It’s a hot streak after two hot streaks last season.

It's horses for courses.

It's no surprise that the hardworking, athletic, quick, and aggressive Mark Harris found a system that suited his characteristics rather than whatever we have been doing for the last three or four seasons. If I were Rubin I'd be looking at Harris and do some serious thinking

Ruben would be welcome at Oxford.

I hope he does well when playing for Wales but nobody on here raised even an eyebrow when he left us because he just wasn't do great. Good luck to him I say, at least he knows which position he'll be playing in now which is more than most Cardiff city players know.

True mate.
The majority said he was shit and would never score in the Championship.
He kept plugging away and glad to see it’s currently working for him.

Reply:

It’s a hot streak after two hot streaks last season.

It's horses for courses.

It's no surprise that the hardworking, athletic, quick, and aggressive Mark Harris found a system that suited his characteristics rather than whatever we have been doing for the last three or four seasons. If I were Rubin I'd be looking at Harris and do some serious thinking

Interesting comment about Ruben. I’ve been saying the same to my son for last 12-18 months. I think he’d find his true potential elsewhere due to our way (can’t say it’s a style) of playing.

Reply:

It’s a hot streak after two hot streaks last season.

It's horses for courses.

It's no surprise that the hardworking, athletic, quick, and aggressive Mark Harris found a system that suited his characteristics rather than whatever we have been doing for the last three or four seasons. If I were Rubin I'd be looking at Harris and do some serious thinking

Interesting comment about Ruben. I’ve been saying the same to my son for last 12-18 months. I think he’d find his true potential elsewhere due to our way (can’t say it’s a style) of playing.

If I was Rubin, I would also look to leave.