Etheridge looking forward to Prem after signing deal
GOALKEEPER Neil Etheridge has signed a new deal that will see him remain with Cardiff City until the summer of 2021.
The Philippines international joined the Bluebirds on a Bosman deal last summer after rejecting fresh terms with Walsall.
He enjoyed a magnificent debut campaign in the Welsh capital, keeping 19 clean sheets in the Championship to help fire the Bluebirds to promotion into the promised land of the Premier League.
And he has been rewarded with a new three-year deal by the club.
“The Club has been great to me since I started,” he told the club’s official website.
“We had a fantastic year last year and it’s been great to continue that and extend my deal.
“Every game is going to be a great experience – all of them. Of course, you’ve got Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge... I could go on and on about all of them.
“But I’m looking forward to the first game of the season, then coming back here for a full house against Newcastle. I can’t wait.”
It caps off a remarkable rise for the goalkeeper who very nearly quit British football after being released by Fulham.
Etheridge follows winger Junior Hoilett in putting pen to paper on a new deal with the club this summer.
The 28-year-old is set to face stiff competition from Alex Smithies to be the club’s No.1 goalkeeper during the 2018-19 campaign.
Executive Director & CEO, Ken Choo, said: “We are delighted to see another of our key performers from the 2017/18 campaign commit his future to the Club.
“Neil enjoyed a fantastic first season here at Cardiff City, and I’m sure the supporters are just as pleased as us to see him sign this new deal.
“We look forward to seeing him continue to grow as a player and giving his all for the Bluebirds.”
Etheridge featured in all but one of the Bluebirds’ 46 Championship matches last term, with the 2-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers on New Year’s Day being the only league outing he missed.
He is set to feature for his country at the Asian Cup in 2019 which could see him miss the Bluebirds’ fixtures with Tottenham, Huddersfield Town, Newcastle, Arsenal and Bournemouth.