Whittingham hits the big time with Cardiff

Peter Whittingham is glad he will experience the Premier League with Cardiff having resisted the lure of a move away earlier in his career.

The midfielder tasted play-off heartache with the Welsh club for four straight seasons before they finally secured promotion by winning the Championship last term.

And Whittingham is confident his side can make an impact in the top flight, with their campaign getting under way against West Ham on Saturday August 17.

“I’m so glad I stayed,” he told the club’s official website. “When other teams were coming in for me I always said I wanted to get to the Premier League with Cardiff.

“I am desperate to start it (the season).

“We have got some good players in the midfield. For me, it’s a case of doing as well as I can in pre-season and getting myself in contention for that starting berth.

“It would be nice to hit the ground running against West Ham and get three points on the board.

“We are all proud of the way we got there but now it’s a case of keeping Cardiff in the Premier League.

“It’s going to be a massive task, we are under no illusions about that.

“But it’s a task that we are all relishing and really looking forward to.”