Cardiff's Josh Beecher has revealed his great pride at makin

Cardiff's Josh Beecher has revealed his great pride at making his Bluebirds debut, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Billy Baker.

Beecher was brought on for his debut against Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup last month, with Bulut handing a number of young players an opportunity to step up as reward for their work in the age-group setup. And Beecher's debut comes 85 years after his great-grandfather, a wing half who made more than 300 appearances for the Bluebirds over a 17-year period which was split by the outbreak of World War Two. He also earned a Wales cap, too.



JOSH BEECHER:

“I’ve really enjoyed the season so far,” Beecher, 17, said. “As a scholar, I’m playing up an age group with the U21 side every week and training every day with them. I’ve now also made my First Team debut, which is probably the best thing that can happen for me. I’m learning a lot more from playing with the U21 side, so it’s great.


“I’m from Tonteg and my family support the club, while my great-grandfather used to play for Cardiff City. His name was William George [Billy] Baker and he played for City in the 1930s and ‘40s, which makes being with the club and making my debut even more special for my family and I.

"It’s been a dream for me since I was little, and it was an amazing experience to play in that match. There’s a lot of mixed emotions when you step onto the pitch initially, but I think it’s up there with one of the best things I’ve achieved in my life.

“I spoke to Darren Purse the day before the first team travelled to Blackburn, and he told me that I was going to be on the bus with them and I might be on the bench! I think I must have trained well before travelling because then later on I obviously got onto the bench ahead of kick-off.

“It’s been hard playing up an age group with the U21s, but it’s making me a better player being around better players every day. The games are faster, which I like as it suits my playing style, and I know that I’m getting better every day because of this environment.”