Current captain Joe Ralls has been a consistent performer for Cardiff City for a while now, but he has really stood out as a key component this season.
The 28-year-old was sidelined earlier on in the campaign due to a shoulder injury but has been superb ever since his return.
Ralls became captain after Sean Morrison’s injury and he has been a mentor and role model for the younger players.
The midfielder signed for the Bluebirds from non-league side Farnborough in 2010 before eventually breaking into the first-team just one year later.
Ralls has been a true servant to the club, playing in the first team for over 10 years. He has made 304 appearances in all competitions, scoring 32 goals and setting up 30 more. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, many Cardiff fans will be hoping that he puts pen to paper very soon.
What do the stats say?
In his 25 appearances so far this season, Ralls has had a passing success rate of 75.5% and plays 34.9 passes per game on average. He also averages 1.6 key passes per game which has paid off with the 28-year-old grabbing five assists in total so far this campaign. (Whoscored).
In other areas of the pitch, he averages 2.3 tackles per game, 0.6 clearances per game and 0.2 blocks. However, even though he has made 2.3 tackles this coincides with a foul average of 1.3 per game.
This season as a whole as been a transitional period for the Bluebirds and it will have benefitted them massively having a familiar face at the club that is as committed as Ralls is.
The midfielder has worked effectively in the centre of the park this season, playing alongside youngsters that will undoubtedly benefit from the wealth of experience that Ralls has under his belt.
He also compliments defensive midfielder Ryan Wintle well, whose defensive play and work ethic allows him to play with the creative freedom that he desires. Cardiff will surely lose an integral cog in their machine if they are unable to renew his contract before the season ends.
