By Terry Phillips
Peter Whittingham is aiming to be the villain of Villa Park against his former club on Saturday.
Playmaker ‘Whitts’ started his senior professional career with Aston Villa and now returns with the Bluebirds.
“Graham Taylor gave me my Villa debut and I’ll always be grateful to him for that,” says Whittingham. “I then had a really good run under David O’Leary – around 25 consecutive matches. Both managers had a big influence on me.”
He has scored at Premiership level for both clubs – one for Villa, three for Cardiff – and this weekend makes his third playing trip back to his former club since moving to South Wales in 2007.
Whittingham made more than 60 first team appearances for Villa, while he has fired 94 City goals in almost 450 matches.
When the Bluebirds were earning promotion to the Championship via the 2003 play-offs, ‘Whitts’ was helping Villa win the FA Youth Cup.
He then broke into the first team, making his debut in front of 52,000 spectators against Newcastle United at St James Park.
“I went on at half-time in front of one of the biggest crowds you could hope to be playing in front of,” he says. “It was a bit intimidating at first, but I have positive memories.”
Peter Enckelman, who played in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth for Cardiff, was in goal for Villa that day, while Whittingham’s first start came against Leeds United a Elland Road when a future team-mate, Stephen McPhail, played for the home team.
“I remember coming out of the tunnel (at Leeds) to play against people like Mark Viduka,” said Whittingham. “It was a big occasion for me.”
The Nuneaton-born midfield man attended the rugby union playing King George VIII School, but loved football and played for Coventry City at junior level after they spotted him playing in a Sunday League.
But he was released at the age of 16 and says: “I was told I wasn’t good enough to make the grade. Aston Villa rang me a few days later and asked me to go on trial.
“That was nerve-wracking. My confidence had been hit after being released by Coventry, but I played in a couple of trial matches at Villa and managed to score a few goals.
“They offered me a contract which, at a club like Villa, was absolutely frightening.
“I don’t regret my time at Villa at all. I played around 60-odd games and had a great time.
“It was a good learning curve for me and I wouldn’t change anything for the world.”
Cardiff paid Villa £350,000 for Whittingham, who has been back twice as a player. Gabriel Agbonlahor scored the only goal for Villa in a 2009 League Cup tie, while the Bluebirds lost 2-0 away in the Premiership.
West Ham, Fulham, Stoke and West Brom are among the clubs who have tried to prise Whittingham away from Cardiff, but he has signed five new contracts during his time with the club and says: “I enjoy playing for Cardiff and have never seen a good reason to leave. Why change something you enjoy?”
He will complete a decade with Cardiff City next January and is currently on the list of all-time Bluebirds League goalscorer, behind Len Davies on 128 (1919-31), Robert Earnshaw 89 (1997-2004 and 2011-13) and Jimmy Gill 82 (1920-25).
Former England under-21 international Whittingham is fourth with 81 goals, ahead of Brian Clark, Hughie Ferguson, who fired the winning goal for Cardiff in the 1927 FA Cup final, and John Toshack.
Clark netted 79, Ferguson 77 and Toshack 74.
There will be 2,500 Cardiff fans in the away section at Villa Park for Saturday’s clash when ‘Whitts’ and full-back Joe Bennett are two players going back to their old club.
Manager Neil Warnock is unlikely to make changes from his starting line-up for the 3-2 win against Huddersfield Town at home last weekend.
Warnock has said two or three players have been affected by a sickness within the group, but expects to have a near full strength squad available.
Cardiff City (probable): Amos; Peltier, Morrison (capt), Bamba, Bennett; Whittingham, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Pilkington; Hoilett, Lambert. Subs: Noone, Connolly, Harris, Richardson, Gounongbe, Chamakh, Wilson (gk).