Heroes of Cardiff City’s Last Promotion: New Careers and Heartbreaks Revealed

Cardiff City find themselves close to promotion again, eight years after their 2017/18 success. Fans remember that season for key moments and several standout performers.

Looking back at 2017/18

The Bluebirds secured a return to the top flight in 2018. That campaign featured decisive goals, dramatic celebrations, and defensive solidity.

Where those players are now

Below is a season-by-season summary of every player who played a league game during 2017/18. Appearances that season are shown first, followed by current status.

• Sol Bamba – appearances: 46. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021. He later played for Middlesbrough and tragically died in 2024 aged 39. A mural in Grangetown commemorates him.
• Junior Hoilett – appearances: 46. Scored nine goals in the promotion season. Joined Reading in 2021 and later moved to Swindon Town, who play in League Two.
• Neil Etheridge – appearances: 45. Kept 19 clean sheets in 2017/18 and won a Player of the Season award later. Left for Birmingham in 2020, then moved to Buriram United. He captains the Philippines national team.
• Sean Morrison – appearances: 39. Key defender during the promotion run, including a brace at Hull. He spent a season at Rotherham, was released after 2023/24, and has since retired. Morrison now works in punditry and writes for WalesOnline.
• Bruno Ecuele Manga – appearances: 38. Versatile defender who left Cardiff after five years. He now plays for Paris 13 Atletico in the Championnat National.
• Nathaniel Mendez-Laing – appearances: 38. Joined as a free agent and produced notable moments in the Premier League. He tested positive for cocaine twice in 2019/20, which ended his Cardiff contract. He later played for Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby. He now plays for MK Dons.
• Joe Bennett – appearances: 38. Reliable left-back who suffered an ACL injury. He went on to Wigan, then Oxford. He currently plays for Walton & Hersham.
• Joe Ralls – appearances: 37. Came through Cardiff’s academy and spent 15 seasons at the club. He left Cardiff in June 2025 after 409 appearances and 34 goals. He signed for Plymouth in the January transfer window but has struggled with a hamstring injury.
• Kenneth Zohore – appearances: 36. Contributed late in the promotion campaign. After struggling in the Premier League, he moved to West Brom and later joined BK Fremad Amager in Denmark’s second tier.
• Callum Paterson – appearances: 30. Converted from right-back into a goalscoring outlet under Warnock. He now plays for MK Dons in League Two and has contributed goals from a deeper starting position.
• Lee Peltier – appearances: 30. Long-serving full-back who left for West Brom in January 2020. He later linked up with Warnock at Middlesbrough and finished his career at Rotherham. He retired in late 2024 and now works as an agent and mentor.
• Loic Damour – appearances: 27. Midfield enforcer during the promotion campaign. He moved to Hearts in 2019/20, signed for Versailles in 2022, left in 2024, and now works as a consultant for an independent manufacturer’s agent.
• Craig Bryson – appearances: 22. Joined on loan from Derby and later returned to Scotland. He retired in September 2022 and now co-owns and trains at Total Fitness Kilmarnock.
• Aron Gunnarsson – appearances: 20. Suffered ankle surgery but returned to help the run-in. He left Cardiff after the Premier League season and plays for Al-Gharafa in Qatar.
• Danny Ward – appearances: 18. Scored four goals before a knee injury ended his season in January. He stayed at Cardiff until 2020, then rejoined Huddersfield until his contract ended in 2024/25.
• Liam Feeney – appearances: 15. Joined on loan from Blackburn and provided one assist. He later played for Blackpool, Tranmere and Scunthorpe. He retired in October 2024 and became a football agent.
• Lee Tomlin – appearances: 13. Struggled for a regular place and spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest. He later played for Walsall and Doncaster and is now assistant manager at Morecambe FC.
• Marko Grujic – appearances: 13. Late-season loan from Liverpool who helped in midfield. He had spells at Hertha Berlin and Porto and now plays for AEK Athens.
• Gary Madine – appearances: 13. Signed mid-season for about £6million but failed to score for Cardiff. His contract was terminated in January 2020. He then played at Blackpool and later non-league before retiring in 2025.
• Greg Halford – appearances: 12. Utility player across defence and midfield. After Cardiff he joined Aberdeen, then Southend and Waterford. He later signed for Blyth Spartans and retired in September 2025.
• Omar Bogle – appearances: 10. Began the season strongly but saw form dip after a red card. He had a loan at Birmingham and later played for Charlton, Doncaster and Newport. He now turns out for Crewe Alexandra. He has publicly discussed a battle with painkiller addiction.
• Yanic Wildschut – appearances: 10. Joined on loan from Norwich with limited starts. He later represented Bolton, Maccabi Haifa, Oxford and Exeter. He became a free agent in July 2025.
• Anthony Pilkington – appearances: 8. Scored a stoppage-time winner that helped secure promotion. He left Cardiff in January 2019, had a spell in India, then played for Fleetwood Town. He retired from playing in 2022.
• Jazz Richards – appearances: 6. Injuries curtailed his campaign. After Cardiff he spent time at Haverfordwest County. He now runs a padel centre, Jaxx Padel, in Swansea.
• Matthew Connolly – appearances: 4. Rarely featured due to a serious ankle injury. He was released in 2020 and now runs a football academy in Hertfordshire.
• Jamie Ward – appearances: 4. Loan signing from Nottingham Forest with limited game time. He later played for several lower-league clubs and now lives in Dubai, coaching small-group training sessions.
• Armand Traore – appearances: 4. Loan arrival in January who later moved to Turkey. He has been without a club and appears to have retired.
• Frederic Gounongbe – appearances: 3. Injury problems ended his playing career. He returned to education and earned a degree in asset management.
• Rhys Healey – appearances: 3. Made few appearances in the promotion season. He moved on to clubs including Toulouse, Watford and Huddersfield. He is on loan at Barrow, with limited game time.
• Kadeem Harris – appearances: 3. Struggled for regular football in 2017/18. After seven years with Cardiff he spent time at Sheffield Wednesday and in Ukraine. He currently plays for Salford City.
• Brian Murphy – appearances: 1. Backup goalkeeper who spent most of the season on the bench. He later played three years at Waterford and became their goalkeeping coach in 2023.
• Matty Kennedy – appearances: 1. Spent the year on loan at Portsmouth. He left Cardiff and spent many years in the Scottish Premiership. A hip injury has kept him out this season.

Conclusion

Filmogaz.com revisits the heroes of Cardiff City’s last promotion. The list shows diverse outcomes. Some found new careers in coaching and business. Others battled injuries or personal heartbreaks. The club’s 2017/18 heroes remain central to the club’s recent history.