Cardiff City's players reported back for the first day of pre-season on Monday as preparations for life back in the Championship officially got under way. After enjoying a summer celebrating their immediate return to the second tier, Brian Barry-Murphy's squad arrived at the club's Vale Resort training base in Hensol for the opening round of fitness testing, with many of the first-team players having already completed individual pre-pre-season programmes.
First Team Assembled at Vale Resort
Barry-Murphy and his coaching staff have been back at work for the past fortnight, but Monday marked the first time the squad assembled together ahead of the new campaign. The Bluebirds documented the players' arrival on social media, with a host of senior stars pictured reporting for duty in the club's new Castore training kit.
Rubin Colwill, Alex Robertson, Joel Bagan, Joel Colwill, Dakarai Mafico, Callum Robinson and Chris Willock were among those photographed arriving, while captain Calum Chambers was also snapped alongside Gabriel Osho and Will Fish in the new training gear. Ollie Tanner, Cian Ashford and Eli King also featured in footage shared by the club as the players returned to base.
Roko Simic Returns Despite Absence from Official Imagery
One notable absentee from the club's official imagery was striker Roko Simic, who is yet to make his Cardiff debut after spending last season on loan with German second-tier side Karlsruher. However, the Croatian later confirmed via Instagram that he had returned to the Welsh capital.
With the players now back in the building, attention will increasingly turn towards Cardiff's preparations for their Championship return, with Barry-Murphy expected to ramp up training over the coming weeks ahead of a busy schedule of pre-season fixtures.
Academy Players Sign New Contracts
It was also a significant day for the club's academy, with Cardiff announcing four new contracts for members of their under-21 squad. Goalkeepers Jake Dennis and Ewan Griffiths have both committed their futures to the Bluebirds, while midfielders Troy Perrett and Trey George have also signed fresh deals.
Perrett enjoyed a small breakthrough last season, making his senior debut in the Vertu Trophy before scoring his first professional goal against Arsenal Under-21s in the same competition. The midfielder also gained valuable senior experience during a loan spell with National League side Yeovil Town.
"I'm really pleased," Perrett said after putting pen to paper. "It's such an exciting time to be at the club and I'm looking forward to the season ahead. It was a very positive 12 months for me, playing a lot of U21s football and getting a few appearances for the first team. Going out on loan was a new challenge that I enjoyed. I'll be working really hard in pre-season to get some games under my belt and see what I can do from there."
Playmaker George, who also scored on his first-team debut in the Vertu Trophy against Arsenal Under-21s last season, said he was excited to continue his development at the club. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Dennis, who joined Cardiff's academy at the age of eight, and Griffiths also extended their stays after spending time around the first-team environment and gaining valuable loan experience.
Luke Pearce Departs Cardiff
However, not everyone returned to begin pre-season. The club confirmed striker Luke Pearce has left Cardiff following the expiry of his contract. The 22-year-old made three senior appearances for the Bluebirds, featuring once in the FA Cup and twice in the Vertu Trophy, but was unable to establish himself in the first-team picture. During his time with the club, the former Republic of Ireland youth international spent time on loan with Sligo Rovers and Finnish side IFK Mariehamn.
Cardiff thanked Pearce for his efforts and wished him well for the next stage of his career as Barry-Murphy begins work with the players who will form part of his plans for the Championship campaign ahead.
