The Cardiff City ace who shocked team-mate in training and h

The Cardiff City ace who shocked team-mate in training and how it has shaped Bluebirds' transfer strategy


By Glen Williams

Wednesday 9th June 2021


The emergence of some players at the back end of the season appears to have altered some of the Bluebirds' thinking in the transfer window


The meteoric rise of Rubin Colwill was a much-needed success story at Cardiff City last season.


From starting the campaign on the bench for the under-23s in a 5-1 thrashing by arch-rivals Swansea City to pushing for a place in the Wales side against the Swiss this Saturday on one of the biggest stages of them all, few could lay claim to such a steep upwards career trajectory in recent months.

This time last year, for instance, there was a real conversation going on behind the scenes at Cardiff City.

Playmaker Sion Spence was one of the most talented players in the Bluebirds' youth ranks, but tough decisions had to be made and it was decided that Colwill, a year his colleague's junior, should be afforded the pathway to flourish.

Spence left, eventually being picked up by Crystal Palace and is now very much treading his own path, and Colwill stepped up a rung on the ladder.

It appears to have been one of the most significant sliding-doors moments in recent Cardiff history pertaining to young players coming through the ranks, because Colwill has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and bolted.

It was actually Craig Bellamy who discovered Rubin Colwill and had fought hard to keep him when he was younger as many wanted the lad released.


And, as outgoing Bluebirds playmaker Jonny Williams says, the 19-year-old forward shone like a beacon from the very start. It was a bafflement, even, that he was not already involved with the first team.




JONNY WILLIAMS:


"Ever since the first day I trained with him at Cardiff, he shocked me, the ability he had," Williams said.

"I was surprised he wasn't already with the first team, because he has got the full package.

"He has got the size, good feet, ability on the ball and he is only going to get better and better.

"He's a really nice guy as well so I am pleased for him. I'm always pleased for the good guys in football and he's one of them."

If we talk about sliding-doors moments in relation to Colwill and Spence, then Williams' release this summer certainly has the same ring to it.

All the noises coming from Mick McCarthy seemed to indicate that Williams would step in as the "perfect" replacement for Harry Wilson, who was destined to return to Liverpool.

Indeed, even Williams believed that to be the case, stating that he thought he was going to be at Cardiff City Stadium next term in a candid interview out in Baku.

But the emergence of Colwill appears to have altered the club's transfer strategy and the decision on William's future appeared to take a U-turn at some stage.




Colwill's talent was recognised by the Wales staff after a strong end to the season with his club and he is now very much a part of Wales' Euro 2020 plans as well as McCarthy's Cardiff City plans for next term.

As Williams says, Colwill will only get better and is at the very beginning of what Wales and Cardiff fans hope is a lofty bell curve in his career.

But for Williams, who has historically had to battle with injury troubles and did so early on in his albeit brief Cardiff stint, Colwill represented the better option for the higher-ups.

Colwill is now expected to play a far more prominent part for the Bluebirds next season and with Lee Tomlin already in situ and Cardiff understood to be in the market for another No.10, there was no room for Williams in the ranks.


The Bluebirds' transfer strategy has been centred around a measured, prudent approach, cutting costs where needs be and implementing the right youth structure to lean a little more on the starlets breaking through the academy.

Colwill's progress in recent months has been exciting to witness, but it just might have come at Williams' expense.

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Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

Very much agree regarding Spence
He had been with us since he was a very young kid and the club must have invested heavily in him
Should have kept him as well as Colwill

Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

its a typical glen article.... Spence left and was installed as captain of Palace under 23s...at that point Colwill was on the bench for our under 23s and has come on leaps and bounds since...
as for being discovered by CB... CB was still playing for Man Citry when we pinched this kid from Swansea ... the credit belongs to someone else....

Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

its a typical glen article.... Spence left and was installed as captain of Palace under 23s...at that point Colwill was on the bench for our under 23s and has come on leaps and bounds since...
as for being discovered by CB... CB was still playing for Man Citry when we pinched this kid from Swansea ... the credit belongs to someone else....

But Bellamy did help persuade the club to keep colwill. He might not have brought him to club but if it wasn't for Bellamy seeing his potential, colwill might not even be here. He definitely deserves credit for that.

Glen Williams does come out with some shite mind!

Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

its a typical glen article.... Spence left and was installed as captain of Palace under 23s...at that point Colwill was on the bench for our under 23s and has come on leaps and bounds since...
as for being discovered by CB... CB was still playing for Man Citry when we pinched this kid from Swansea ... the credit belongs to someone else....

But Bellamy did help persuade the club to keep colwill. He might not have brought him to club but if it wasn't for Bellamy seeing his potential, colwill might not even be here. He definitely deserves credit for that.

Glen Williams does come out with some shite mind!

hmmm.... id buy it more had CB actually said it prior to the boy kicking on.... the decision talked about in the article was after CB had left... as for that discussion...why not keep the 2 { i was told Sion decided himself that his future lay elsewhere but that might be wrong ? } ... as the story makes no sense... one has been looked upon as one of the most likely to make it this last few years and leaves to captain crystal palace under 23s... the other { at that point } a fringe player on the bench for our under 23s in a lower league...?
ive no idea who exactly brought Colwill here but Steve Morrison always pushed the boys cause prior to his break through when commentating and its under him the boy has come on leaps and bounds....both he and the guy that did discover him are the ones that should be credited ..

Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

its a typical glen article.... Spence left and was installed as captain of Palace under 23s...at that point Colwill was on the bench for our under 23s and has come on leaps and bounds since...
as for being discovered by CB... CB was still playing for Man Citry when we pinched this kid from Swansea ... the credit belongs to someone else....

But Bellamy did help persuade the club to keep colwill. He might not have brought him to club but if it wasn't for Bellamy seeing his potential, colwill might not even be here. He definitely deserves credit for that.

Glen Williams does come out with some shite mind!

hmmm.... id buy it more had CB actually said it prior to the boy kicking on.... the decision talked about in the article was after CB had left... as for that discussion...why not keep the 2 { i was told Sion decided himself that his future lay elsewhere but that might be wrong ? } ... as the story makes no sense... one has been looked upon as one of the most likely to make it this last few years and leaves to captain crystal palace under 23s... the other { at that point } a fringe player on the bench for our under 23s in a lower league...?
ive no idea who exactly brought Colwill here but Steve Morrison always pushed the boys cause prior to his break through when commentating and its under him the boy has come on leaps and bounds....both he and the guy that did discover him are the ones that should be credited ..

Bellamy always said we had talented youngsters throughout the age groups. I'm not taking anything away from morrison, the u23s play some lovely football and colwill has been a big part of that. But Bellamy did coach him for a number of years and probably had a big say on what players were kept or released when he was coaching. There's been more to colwills development since the person who discovered him and morrisons arrival.

Going by this article, it sounds like colwills place at the club might have been in doubt a few times. Maybe the only reason he is here is because sion wanted to make his own way if that's true? As you say, why would they get rid of top prospect for an unknown. Either way, its turned out good for us!

Struggling to see why we could not have kept Spence too if he was so highly thought of. Can't see what this have been an either or situation between the two of them.

its a typical glen article.... Spence left and was installed as captain of Palace under 23s...at that point Colwill was on the bench for our under 23s and has come on leaps and bounds since...
as for being discovered by CB... CB was still playing for Man Citry when we pinched this kid from Swansea ... the credit belongs to someone else....

But Bellamy did help persuade the club to keep colwill. He might not have brought him to club but if it wasn't for Bellamy seeing his potential, colwill might not even be here. He definitely deserves credit for that.

Glen Williams does come out with some shite mind!

hmmm.... id buy it more had CB actually said it prior to the boy kicking on.... the decision talked about in the article was after CB had left... as for that discussion...why not keep the 2 { i was told Sion decided himself that his future lay elsewhere but that might be wrong ? } ... as the story makes no sense... one has been looked upon as one of the most likely to make it this last few years and leaves to captain crystal palace under 23s... the other { at that point } a fringe player on the bench for our under 23s in a lower league...?
ive no idea who exactly brought Colwill here but Steve Morrison always pushed the boys cause prior to his break through when commentating and its under him the boy has come on leaps and bounds....both he and the guy that did discover him are the ones that should be credited ..

Bellamy always said we had talented youngsters throughout the age groups. I'm not taking anything away from morrison, the u23s play some lovely football and colwill has been a big part of that. But Bellamy did coach him for a number of years and probably had a big say on what players were kept or released when he was coaching. There's been more to colwills development since the person who discovered him and morrisons arrival.

Going by this article, it sounds like colwills place at the club might have been in doubt a few times. Maybe the only reason he is here is because sion wanted to make his own way if that's true? As you say, why would they get rid of top prospect for an unknown. Either way, its turned out good for us!

yes there has been more to his development ...but its Glen that has made claims that were untrue , not that he would know as he has about as much interest in our club as i have in the masked ping pong player ...