Aaron Ramsey breaks silence on move as Cardiff City add three to Brian Barry-Murphy's staff

Wales Online

19 hours ago

Aaron Ramsey breaks silence on move as Cardiff City add three to Brian Barry-Murphy's staff
The latest Bluebirds news from Cardiff City Stadium
Aaron Ramsey is swamped by fans in Mexico
(Image: Instagram/analisispuma )
Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Tuesday, July 1.
Ramsey: Mexico opportunity excited me
Aaron Ramsey has lifted the lid on his decision to leave Cardiff City for Mexican side Pumas UNAM.
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The former Bluebirds midfielder endured an injury-ravaged two years at Cardiff, which culminated in him taking the head coach job on an interim basis for the final three games. However, he couldn't stave off relegation to League One.
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Cardiff, however, held talks with Ramsey over potentially taking over on a permanent basis this summer, before the Wales star informed them he wanted to go elsewhere to pursue playing opportunities.
His link-up with the Mexican side raised eyebrows, however he does share an agent with Pumas manager Efraín Juárez, so there was an obvious link. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community
After being unveiled as their new player, following the expiration of his contract at Cardiff, he said: "When this opportunity came up, it was something I was really excited by. The manager really wanted me and I was encouraged by what he had to say and I'm looking forward to working with him now.
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"He's an exciting, young manager who has had good success already in his career so far. I'm looking forward to being involved and playing my part. I'm excited to play and be part of this historic club. I can't wait to get on the pitch.
"I want to get back to enjoying my football again and the rest will come then. I've watched a few of the games in the last few weeks and I've been really impressed. There's good quality and some good teams. I'm excited to play a part in this competition."
Cardiff add three to Barry-Murphy's staff
Cardiff City have made three additions to Brian Barry-Murphy's coaching staff as the new head coach looks to reshape his team.
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WalesOnline reported that Kevin Gibbins would leave his role at Rochdale to take up a new gig with the Bluebirds and he has been appointed head of performance, replacing the outgoing Jonny Northeast.
However, Cardiff have made two more additions on the analysis team, bringing in data analyst Rob Clarke and lead first-team analyst Luke Foulkes.
Foulkes joins after six years in Australia with Western Sydney Wanderers. He had previously held analysis roles with Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United.
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Speaking about the new additions, Barry-Murphy said the addition of Gibbins was of 'paramount importance'.
'Kevin is somebody that I've worked with before, and in line with the overall vision of what we have for the club, we want a team that is really exciting to watch," he said.
"To deliver that, the players have to have a really particular set of values, and as coaching staff, we have to deliver those values and develop the players in a way that is really specific.
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'Kevin has a deep understanding of the adaptation physically in terms of what fitness we require. His appointment is of paramount importance, and I'm really grateful for the club to give me that support to get somebody in who I believe is best in class in such an important role.
'Rob again has a really specific understanding of the way we want to work and what we want to see, in terms of player recruitment and our training model. The way that we work is as a team of staff, really united with the players and the whole club, to try and put together a package that becomes very exciting for everybody.'
Nine new scholars sign deals
Cardiff City have confirmed nine new additions to their U18 squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with the latest cohort of scholars returning for pre-season training this week.
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The group, made up of promising young talents from the Bluebirds' academy setup, have each signed two-year scholarship deals as they begin their full-time football development journeys.
The new scholars are: Joshua Donovan, Logan Cartwright, Harri Davies, Thomas Prickett, Robert Tankiewicz, Tiger Tobin, Ellis Yorke, Leo Papirnyk and Jack Sykes.
Academy coach Tom Hutton spoke positively about the new intake, saying: 'Pre-season is an exciting time of the year as we welcome a new group of scholars to the U18s, and as an academy we are really optimistic about what this group can achieve both individually and collectively.
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'The early part of the season is all about helping them understand the demands of a full-time development model. How they prepare, perform and recover each day is key to maximising their potential.
'Our job as staff is to set expectations on and off the pitch and nurture the behaviours that will give them long-term success in the game.'
Goalkeeper Donovan, a long-serving academy player since U9 level, has steadily risen through the ranks and now steps into the U18s. He is joined by defender Logan Cartwright, who came through the U13s and has represented Wales at youth level, including in the prestigious Victory Shield.
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Davies, a product of the U14s, played a key role in Cardiff's U17s reaching the PDL Trophy Final last season, while commanding centre-back Thomas Prickett captained the successful U15s Cup side and joined the academy at U12s level.
Midfielder Tankiewicz, another long-term Bluebird from U9 level, gained U18s experience last season and has also featured for Wales at youth level. He played alongside Cartwright in the Victory Shield.
Tobin, also with the club since U9s, made headlines by scoring the winner in the Floodlit Cup final earlier this year and now earns his scholarship terms.
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Dynamic midfielder Yorke, who joined at U13s, continues his progress through the ranks, while attacker Papirnyk—who first featured for Cardiff's U16s—has already had U18 experience and represented Wales last season.
The final addition is Sykes, who joined the club at U14 level and impressed in the U17s' PDL Trophy run. He also found the net at Cardiff City Stadium in the Floodlit Cup Final. The new scholars will now aim to build on their early promise as part of Cardiff City's U18 setup for the upcoming season. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community