Joe Ledley

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Joe Ledley
Joe Ledley
Personal information
Full name Joseph Christopher Ledley
Date of birth January 21, 1987 (1987-01-21) (age 21)
Place of birth    Cardiff, Wales
Playing position Central midfielder / Left winger
Club information
Current club Cardiff City
Number 16
Youth clubs
1996-2004 Cardiff City
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2004– Cardiff City 157 (19)   
National team2
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2006
2006–		 Wales U17
Wales U19
Wales U21
Wales		 005 0(0)
003 0(0)
005 0(0)
022 0(1)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 15:01, 18 May 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 18:14, 1 June 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Joseph Christopher "Joe" Ledley (born January 21, 1987 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Football League Championship side Cardiff City.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Ledley was born in Cardiff, growing up in the Fairwater area. As a youngster he attended Cantonian High School, where his picture is still displayed.[1] He is not the first footballer in the family, however, his older cousin Luke Pittard played in goals for Wales under-21s, before injury cut short his career.

[edit] Club career

Ledley joined his hometown club Cardiff City at the age of nine and made his way through the youth ranks at the club. During his later days as a trainee he was in charge of cleaning then captain Graham Kavanagh's boots.[2]

Ledley is currently one of the rising stars of Cardiff City, after performing well for the reserve team, and thus being called into the full team in the middle of the 2004–05 season, making his debut against Milton Keynes Dons on 21 September 2004[3] before making his league debut the next month on 16 October against Rotherham United. He scored his first goal for the senior team in a league match against West Ham United which the Bluebirds won 4–1[4]. Primarily a midfielder, being able to play in the centre or on the left, Ledley can also play at left-back as he showed at the end of the 2006–07 season when he filled in at the position with Cardiff's small squad struggling with suspensions and injuries late in the season. He has also played at left-back for Wales. At the end of the 2006–07 season he picked up the goal of the season award for his strike against Barnsley[5]

Ledley began the 2007–08 season in great form and earned several man of the match awards in the first four months and in October 2007 he signed a two-year extension to his current contract at Cardiff[6]. In December 2007, Wolverhampton Wanderers offered a reported £2.5 million pounds, which could go up to as much as £3.5m with add-ons, to Cardiff for Ledley. Cardiff offered the deal to Ledley who turned the move down in order to stay with the Bluebirds.[7] Premier League side Everton are also known to have taken an interest in him, reportedly considering making an offer of 3.5m.[8] Cardiff value him at a reported £5 million.

Despite the speculation about his transfer Ledley himself has stated that he is desperate to stay at Cardiff but concedes that he may have no choice should a high offer be made.[9] Everton attempted a second move for Ledley at the end of the January transfer window, reportedly beating Wolves' previous £3m move, but the move was rejected by Cardiff.[10] His form continued into February and early March before a hamstring injury forced him to miss several games, including Cardiff's 2–0 FA Cup Quarter Final victory over Middlesbrough. He returned to the side in time for the Semi Final against Barnsley where he scored the only goal to send Cardiff to their first Final since 1927,[11] a goal which later earned him 'Player of the Round'.[12] Cardiff went on to lose in the Final to Portsmouth.

[edit] International career

Ledley played at several youth levels for Wales as a youngster eventually winning his first senior Wales cap in an away World Cup qualifying match against Poland in October 2005. His first international goal came against San Marino in a Euro 2008 qualifier on 17 October 2007.

[edit] Career stats

Club Season Championship FA Cup League Cup Others Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Cardiff City 2007-08 41 10 4 1 3 0 - - 48 11
2006-07 46 3 2 0 1 0 - - 49 3
2005-06 42 3 1 0 2 1 - - 45 3
2004-05 28 3 1 0 3 0 - - 32 4
Total 157 19 8 1 9 1 - - 174 21

[edit] Honours

Cardiff
2007-08

[edit] References

  1. ^ Local hero Ledley reaps rewards, BBC News Online. Retrieved on 14 April 2008
  2. ^ When Ledley took a shine to Kav, South Wales Echo. Retrieved on 24 December 2007
  3. ^ Bluebirds praise teenager Ledley, BBC Sport Online. Retrieved on 3 October 2007
  4. ^ Parry pleased for Ledley, BBC Sport Online. Retrieved on 3 October 2007
  5. ^ Gunter and Ledley secure prizes, BBC Sport Online. Retrieved on 3 October 2007
  6. ^ Ledley extends Cardiff contract, BBC Sport Online. Retrieved on 3 October 2007
  7. ^ Wolves fails in £2.5m bid, Express & Star. Retrieved on 24 December 2007
  8. ^ Everton face battle for Joe Ledley, Daily Post. Retrieved on 14 April 2008
  9. ^ Ledley's plea to Bluebirds, South Wales Echo. Retrieved on 7 January 2008
  10. ^ Bluebirds boss fends off big money offers, South Wales Echo. Retrieved on 13 February 2008
  11. ^ "Report: Barnsley 0–1 Cardiff, BBC Sport Online. Retrieved on 7 April 2008
  12. ^ Ledley takes the vote, The FA. Retrieved on 14 April 2008

[edit] External links

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Cardiff City F.C. – current squad

2 McNaughton • 3 Capaldi • 4 Rae • 5 Purse • 6 Loovens • 7 Whittingham • 8 Fowler • 10 McPhail • 11 Parry • 12 Johnson • 14 Feeney • 16 Ledley • 19 Scimeca • 20 Thompson • 23 Blake • 25 Sak • 26 Brown • 30 Ramsey • 31 Magennis • 36 Hasselbaink • –– Flood • Manager: Jones
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