Cunningham vows to prove his worth in Rovers loan spell
GREG Cunningham has admitted he grew frustrated by his role as a squad player at Cardiff City and vowed to prove his worth at Blackburn Rovers.
Cunningham moved to the Welsh capital last summer in a £4million deal ahead of the Bluebirds’ return to the Premier League and was set to challenge Joe Bennett for the starting berth at left back.
However, Bennett was Neil Warnock’s nailed-on first choice, and one of the bright spots in an ultimately disappointing campaign, which left Cunningham firmly rooted to his seat on the bench.
The role of first reserve didn’t sit right with the Irishman and, following a chat with Warnock after the club’s pre-season tour of North America, he and his agent set about engineering a move away.
He learned of Blackburn’s interest and spent all of Wednesday emptying his house and waiting for the call. It came on Thursday, deadline day, and he quickly started on the 220-mile drive up the M6.
After a chat with Rovers manager Tony Mowbray, Cunningham was confident that Blackburn was the place for him and he signed a seasonlong loan deal.
“I just want to play football,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph. “Some players are happy to fill that role, and you do need people to fill that role, but I don’t want to be one of them.
“I’m not forging a career to be a squad player. I have a lot to offer and the gaffer had his opinion at Cardiff and I didn’t play as much.
“But I hope to work my way in to the plans here and show the gaffer what I’m about.”
For the Republic of Ireland international, who had impressed at Preston and Bristol City before that, last season represented a chance for him to prove his ability at the highest level and press his case to the national selectors.
But Cunningham made just seven top-flight appearances for the Bluebirds and while he is grateful for the opportunity, he conceded his time in south Wales did not go according to plan.
“I had some great years at Preston, but not very often does the door open to the Premier League,” he added. “I don’t think anyone could blame for me making that decision.
“It didn’t go to plan, that is an honest assumption. I saw it going differently in my head but that’s how things can go in football.
“I kept my head down and did what I could when called upon, as rarely as it was.
“I had the opportunity to play some top sides. Unfortunately the team got relegated, to go close was disappointing, but this is a new season and a new chapter for me.”