City finally seal deal for the ex-Sunderland and Crystal Palace man
AFTER weeks of waiting, striker Connor Wickham has joined Cardiff City as a free agent.
The 29-year-old brings experience of playing in the Premier League and Championship, scoring 62 goals in 285 competitive appearances.
At 6ft 3in, Wickham brings height to The Bluebird’s attack, giving Callum Robinson and Isaak Davies the freedom to play in their more natural wide positions. With other January signing Sory Kaba not yet at full fitness, Wickham provides a like-for-like alternative.
Wickham made his professional debut for Ipswich Town in April 2009 aged 16, making him their youngest ever player. A fruitful two seasons in Suffolk earned him admirers higher up the leagues and he joined Premier League Sunderland ahead of the 2011/12 season for £8 million. At the time, this was the highest fee received for a player moving from the Football League to the Premier League.
Injuries saw Wickham struggle to nail down a starting place at Sunderland, and he subsequently joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan. Across two spells with the club, he scored nine goals in 17 games.
A short stint on loan at Leeds United followed, before he joined Crystal Palace permanently in 2015. Again, injuries blighted his six-year spell with the club where he made only 50 appearances between 2015 and 2021.
He has since spent time at Preston North End and MK Dons before joining Forest Green in August 2022. He last appeared for Forest Green Rovers in League One where he scored nine goals in 20 appearances. He left the club at the expiry of his deal in January.
As disjointed as his career has been, Wickham gives Cardiff height and a history of scoring crucial goals. His goals for Sunderland against Manchester City and Chelsea effectively kept them in the Premier League.
This experience will be vital for The Bluebirds in their fight against relegation this season.
