Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Thursday, June 18.
Cardiff summer departure lands new club
Former Cardiff City defender Jack Kingdon has found a new club after leaving the Bluebirds this summer. National League side Yeovil Town have confirmed the signing of the 20-year-old centre-back on a one-year deal, with the club holding an option to extend his stay by a further season.
Kingdon departed Cardiff at the end of the campaign after captaining the club's under-21 side and making three senior appearances, all of which came in the EFL Trophy. The defender joined Cardiff from Manchester United's academy setup and was regarded as one of the club's promising young prospects. He also gained valuable senior experience during a loan spell with Rochdale in the 2024-25 season, making 16 appearances for the Lancashire club.
The move continues a recent link between Cardiff and Yeovil. Fellow Bluebirds youngsters Troy Perrett and Dakarai Mafico both enjoyed loan spells with the Glovers last season and impressed during their time at Huish Park. Meanwhile, Cardiff have announced that their U21s will take on the Glovers in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 18.
Ex-Cardiff coach announces new job
Former Cardiff City coach Dean Whitehead has landed a new role after being appointed assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers. Whitehead, who briefly took charge of the Bluebirds as caretaker manager in 2023, will work alongside Tranmere boss Darrell Clarke, with whom he has previously worked at both Port Vale and Barnsley.
The former Premier League midfielder arrived at Cardiff in November 2022 as part of Mark Hudson's backroom team. Following Hudson's dismissal in January 2023, Whitehead took temporary charge of the first team before the club appointed Sabri Lamouchi as manager and Sol Bamba as assistant later that month. After leaving Cardiff, Whitehead went on to hold coaching roles at Watford and Blackburn Rovers, having previously worked at Turkish giants Besiktas.
Confirming his appointment at Tranmere, Whitehead said: "I'm delighted to get it over the line now and start to get working and building on what was a difficult season last year. I know how Darrell works, and I know what he demands from his players, from his staff, from the people around the club. I've come here to have success at this football club." Tranmere manager Clarke added: "I'm delighted to welcome Dean as my assistant manager. He is someone who commands immediate respect, not only because of his outstanding playing career, but also due to the quality of coach that he is. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and leadership."
Cardiff teen Williams: I back team-mates in Euros campaign
Cardiff City youngster Noah Williams says he is backing fellow Bluebirds Jac Thomas and Robert Tankiewicz to shine for Wales at this summer's Under-19 European Championship. The defender is one of three Cardiff academy products included in the Wales squad for the tournament, which will be staged on home soil later this month.
Wales face a daunting group containing Spain, Germany and Denmark, but Williams insists the squad are focusing on their own strengths rather than worrying about the opposition. "It's going to be a great competition," he said. "We're preparing well, there's a good vibe around the camp and all the boys are looking forward to it. We're looking to show what we're capable of as a country and show that we can compete with the top nations."
Despite facing some of Europe's biggest footballing powers, Williams believes Wales have enough talent to make an impact. "As a team, we don't focus on our opponents," he added. "We know what we're capable of and trust that we have talented players that can express themselves in games. We always look to give 100% and give our all, whatever the outcome is."
Having familiar faces around him in camp has also been a boost, with Williams full of praise for his Cardiff team-mates. "It helps to have club teammates there but it's also great to mix with players from similar clubs and doing well internationally. Rob and JT are brilliant players so I back them to do well in the tournament."
The Euros cap what has been a breakthrough season for Williams. The teenager made his Cardiff first-team debut in the Vertu Trophy before making his league bow on the final day of the campaign. He has also become an important figure for Wales at youth level and has already captained his country. "The first time I captained Wales was against France," he said. "Seeing my name on the teamsheet as the captain, I knew straight away that I had a big role to play for the team. You've always got to do your best for them and lead them in the right way."
Wales begin their European Championship campaign against Spain at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on June 28 before taking on Germany on July 1 and Denmark on July 4.
