Ward to stay for now, but trio to leave the Bluebirds

OMAR Bogle, Matthew Connolly and Jazz Richards are set to leave Cardiff City in the coming days, but Danny Ward has penned a shortterm contract extension.

Tuesday represented the deadline for out-of-contract players to extend their deals until the end of the delayed season, meaning if they did not then they would be free to speak with other clubs and would leave the Bluebirds next week upon completion of their current contracts.

It is understood Ward has signed terms until the end of the current campaign, but what the future holds for him thereafter is still unknown.

Richards, meanwhile, announced on Instagram that he would leave the Bluebirds after four years.

Bogle has been out on loan with Dutch club ADO Den Haag since January. The Eredivisie announced their season had been curtailed back in April, meaning Alan Pardew’s Den Haag, who were in a relegation battle, avoided the drop. The striker is contracted there until June 30, but will not return to City.

Connolly is also set to leave the club upon completion of his contract.

The defender has been an excellent servant to the club over the course of the last eight years but has been stricken with an ankle problem all season, meaning he has played no football. Connolly, 32, has been working his way back to full fitness but it is hoped he will find a new club to kick-start his career.

“A warrior on the field and a gentleman off it, Matt has given eight years of his career to the Bluebirds since signing from Queens Park Rangers in 2012,” the club wrote in a statement.

“He was part of our 2013 and 2018 promotion campaigns and scored seven times across 146 firstteam appearances.

“Matt was voted as the club’s Player of the Season in May 2016 for a stellar 2015/16 campaign.

“On behalf of all of us at Cardiff City Football Club we’d like to wish Matt the very best for the future and look forward to seeing him back as our guest in the not too distant future.”

The Bluebirds published a full list of the professional players who would leave the club next week, including 10 under-23s players such as Cameron Coxe and Sion Spence. The list is: Matthew Connolly, Omar Bogle, Warren Burwood, Cameron Coxe, Connor Davies, Jacob Evans, Lloyd Humphries, Trystan Jones, Shamar Moore, Ryan Pryce, Sion Spence, Laurence Wootton. (Under-18s players Harry Pinchard and Sam Parsons have not been offered professional contracts).