While in recent seasons Cardiff City haven't enjoyed the best of times, the club have enjoyed some huge success in the last twenty years.
The Bluebirds have reached the Premier League twice, the Championship play-offs on a number of further occasions and also reached the FA Cup final in 2008 before reaching the League Cup final in 2012, where they were defeated by Premier League opposition on both occasions.
Pivotal to their success in the last two decades has been a number of key signings, and with that in mind, we've taken a look at six of the best signings Cardiff have made in that period.
Peter Whittingham
Adam Le Fondre and Peter Whittingham Cardiff City
There's only one place to start, and it's with Peter Whittingham, who spent a decade in the Welsh capital after joining from Aston Villa for a fee of £350,000 in 2007.
To say the Bluebirds got their money's worth would be an understatement, and the influential midfielder made 457 appearances for the club, scoring 96 goals and registering 92 assists, becoming a club legend thanks to both his ability and his humble personality.
He departed for Blackburn Rovers in 2017 before announcing his retirement in 2018, and he moved back to Cardiff's surrounding areas after his playing days had finished.
Whittingham tragically passed away in March 2020 after an accident, and the reaction and outpouring of grief from supporters following his death showed just how much he meant to the club.
Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd
Striker Jay Bothroyd spent three seasons with the Bluebirds after moving from Wolves for a fee of £350,000, and he became one of the Championship's deadliest goalscorers during that time.
In total, he made 133 appearances for the Bluebirds, scoring 45 goals and registering 32 assists, helping the Bluebirds reach the 2010 Championship play-off final, before reaching the play-offs again in 2011.
|Jay Bothroyd's time at Cardiff City - Transfermarkt|
|Season|P|G|A|
|---|
|2008/09|44|12|6|
|2009/10|48|13|17|
|2010/11|41|20|9|
Such was his impressive form for Cardiff, Bothroyd was actually capped by England in November 2010 in a friendly against France, and it was clear that he was someone capable of making the step-up to the Premier League.
That's exactly what he did in the summer of 2011, joining QPR on a free transfer, and the Bluebirds will always regret not reaching the top-flight with Bothroyd in their squad, as he certainly deserved top-flight football with them.
Aron Gunnarsson
Aron Gunnarsson Cardiff City
Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson joined the Bluebirds on a free transfer from Coventry City in 2011 and would become a cult-hero in the Welsh capital over the next eight years.
He was part of a Bluebirds side that reached the League Cup final in 2012, before helping them win the Championship title the following year.
Gunnarsson won two promotions to the Premier League with Cardiff, making 286 appearances in total, and developing a reputation as someone who was reliable, hard-working and tough.
He left Cardiff on a free transfer following their relegation to the Championship in 2019, joining Al-Arabi in Qatar, and after a spell in Iceland with Þór Akureyri, he is back in Qatar with Al-Gharafa**.**
David Marshall
3-5
Goalkeeper David Marshall joined Cardiff City in 2009 for a fee of £500,000 from Norwich City and would play an important role in some successful days for the club.
In total, he made 278 appearances for the Bluebirds, keeping 87 clean sheets, and he was a real standout performer in their 2013/14 Premier League campaign, where they finished bottom of the league.
He was named the Bluebirds' Player of the Year that season and would remain at the club until 2016 before joining Premier League side Hull City.
Further spells with Derby County, QPR and Hibernian would follow before the Scottish international announced his retirement in the summer of 2024.
Michael Chopra
Michael Chopra Cardiff
Michael Chopra had a number of different spells at Cardiff City, and it's certainly where he spent the best years of his career.
He joined the Bluebirds from Newcastle United in 2006 for a fee of £500,000, spending one season at Ninian Park, where he scored 22 goals and registered 12 assists in 44 games before sealing a move to Sunderland.
However, he'd return to Cardiff on loan twice before completing a switch back to the Welsh capital on a permanent basis in 2009 for a fee of £4million.
The striker helped the Bluebirds reach the Championship play-off final in 2009, where he scored in their defeat to Blackpool, and he was part of a Cardiff side that finished fourth the following season.
In total, he made 159 appearances for the club, scoring 63 goals and registering 28 assists, before joining Ipswich Town in 2011.
Sean Morrison
3-1
Centre-back Sean Morrison joined the Bluebirds from Reading for a fee of £3million in the summer of 2014, and he became a cult-hero in the Welsh capital over the next seven years or so.
Morrison skippered the club to Premier League in promotion in 2018, leading them admirably during their season in the top-flight, and he's synonymous with the Bluebirds' recent history.
Rubin Colwill Wales Related
["If we can even keep him" - Cardiff City: Omer Riza's best player named](https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/rubin-colwill-claim-made-in-cardiff-city-best-player-debate/ ""If we can even keep him" - Cardiff City: Omer Riza's best player named")
Colwill has been dubbed as his club's best player by our Bluebirds fan pundit
In total, he made 295 appearances for the club, scoring 33 goals and registering 22 assists, an impressive return for the defender, before leaving in 2022 after suffering an injury.
A spell with Rotherham United followed, but now, at the age of 33, Morrison is a free agent, and it remains to be seen if he'll return to the pitch.