Lee Peltier was one of those classic Cardiff signings. An experienced free agent with a point to prove and he was like a tank down that Cardiff right flank, or in midfield if a dangerous opponent required close attention. I managed to grab a quick chat with Lee on his way down to Cardiff for last night’s charity match.
You’ve had a 20-year professional career in the top two divisions, which is a remarkable achievement. What is your current situation? Are you keeping fit in the hope of finding a new club, or have you brought an end to your playing career?
I’ve retired. I’ve had a year out, so I’ve probably called it a day now. I’m one of those that doesn’t like to make a big fuss, but yeah, I’ve finished!
What are your future plans? I know you were briefly Rotherham caretaker manager at one stage. Are you keen to stay involved in the game after you call it a day as a player?
I’ve had a nice break, enjoying that time with my family, so I’ll see what opportunities come up and we’ll go from there. I did all my coaching badges while I was playing, so I have up to my A Licence and next would be my Pro Licence. I’m ready to go, whether first-team level or in an academy. I’m qualified and ready for the right opportunity.
You’ve represented lots of clubs, but you recorded double as many appearances for Cardiff than any of your other teams. You joined for Russell Slade in 2015 and were unquestionably his best signing. What was the attraction for you?
I’m on my way down now with my son, who won’t remember it too much because he was a baby when we came down to Cardiff, but he loved it there when he was a kid. As a family, we were welcomed, the support was unbelievable and the club was fantastic. The friends we made down there are still our friends today, that’s why coming down today for the doc is a big thing for me and the chance to catch up with people I haven’t seen for a while. Cardiff was a massive part of my life and the most enjoyable part of my career.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow did you find working for Russell? He was not really embraced by Cardiff supporters and viewed as an uninspiring lower league appointment, but was brought in to steady the ship and did exactly that.
Russell brought me in and I think he did a fantastic job. When he came in there, with the amount of players he had, they needed to get rid of a load and he was a great man manager. If you speak to any of the lads that were there at the time, they all loved him because he was a good person.
Paul Trollope, Slade’s assistant, eventually replaced him, but didn’t last very long. Can you offer any perspective on what went wrong? You did not appear to be one of his favoured players during his brief time in charge.
He was a fantastic coach, but I just think at the time he introduced a lot of change and maybe it was all a bit too quick. He probably needed a bit more time to change the formation and get to grips with what he wanted from the lads. It didn’t materialise and then Neil Warnock was brought in.
When Neil arrived, the club was in a bad way. Most of the damage pre-dated your arrival and resulted from the rebrand, but I think he saved the club and to then getting the club promoted was kind of miraculous. I’m not sure anyone else would have manged that because it was largely due to the force of his personality. You’ve played for him at several clubs, so how do you describe ‘The Warnock Effect?’
Many people ask me what he does, but its hard to describe! He’s fantastic at what he does, the way he galvanised supporters and the team to have that bond with each other. He got the city thriving, brought everyone together, aligned the club and we went on to achieve amazing things.
Embed from Getty ImagesYou clearly had Warnock’s trust because you were largely ever present and he would often use you to nullify dangerous opposing players. How was that earned and how did he manage you?
I just do what I do and try to be consistent. I think with Neil, we saw things the same way. We had a great relationship and still speak to this day. That’s the sort of man he is. Everyone had his respect, what he did was absolutely unbelievable and its not just at Cardiff that he’s done stuff like that. He did the same at Rotherham and Huddersfield and he’s one of the greatest ever EFL managers.
That group of players that got promoted felt very much in the image of Warnock. There were big characters and lots of leaders, but seemingly no ego clashes. From the outside, it gave the impression of being a special blend of players. How was that dressing room and how did it compare to others you’ve encountered?
I get goosebumps now thinking about it because it was an unbelievable dressing room. Everyone that walked through that door was a fantastic person and I think that’s who he signs. He knows what he’s going to get from them. I remember having a meeting with Neil and he said that all his teams stay together even after they finish playing and remain best mates. We’re all still so close. I speak to Sean Morrison every single day and I speak to Joe Ralls all the time. I also spoke to Armand Traore last night. I posted something on Instagram about it being seven years to the day since we got promoted and he said what a fantastic group it was, the best he ever had. Everyone who was involved at the time think that.
Promotion was very much unexpected and it felt like Cardiff were a bit unprepared for the Premier League. There’s never a bad time to get promoted and you take it when you can get it, but it felt like maybe a season too soon. How did you find the step up and that season in the top flight?
It’s a massive step up and I thought we did quite well. We were on the wrong end of a few controversial decisions and today VAR may have seen us stay in the Premier League. We didn’t have quite enough, but we battled and gave a good account of ourselves. I was proud of us and we just missed out, but it was a time I’ll never forget.
Embed from Getty ImagesCan you explain what happened with your departure to West Brom. It looked like there was ongoing uncertainty with your contract, but it was still a shock to see you leave because you were an important, established player at the time.
It was a shock to me too, if I’m honest. A new manager came in and I played all the games until January, but my contract was up for renewal and I was getting messed about a bit. There’s a contract, there’s not a contract. You’ve got to feel wanted and I thought that I had given so much to Cardiff that I shouldn’t have felt that way. I was one of the mainstays in the team and always tried to be a leader, so I didn’t think it should have got to that stage. West Brom came in and they were top of the Championship at the time, so I ended up going back to the Premier League with them. My situation wasn’t great, so when an opportunity like that came up, I couldn’t say no.
Do you have any regrets about that move and how it played out? The stability on offer ended up being at the expense of playing regularly.
I thought a new contract at Cardiff was going to be an automatic thing because I was playing well at the time, so I only regret how it all played out. I would have signed a new deal, but I couldn’t afford to wait until the end of the season and pass up the West Brom opportunity.
There’s a broadly similar situation at the club presently with Andy Rinomhota, who has been drawing comparisons with you this season. A similar build and physicality, he’s filled in so well at right back that he was voted Player’s Player of the Year. How did you find playing with Andy at Rotherham?
He’s a great lad. I’m happy that he’s gone back to Cardiff and proved himself. Sometimes you just need opportunities and I don’t think he was getting them when he came to Rotherham. With the change of manager, he was able to play when he went back and he took the chance with both hands. Hopefully he gets what he deserves.
Embed from Getty ImagesYou returned to the Cardiff City Stadium for a tribute to Sol Bamba after his tragic passing. It was devastating news for Cardiff supporters and the whole football community, but must have been truly heartbreaking for those of you that knew him and I’m sorry for your loss. What did Sol mean to you?
He was like my big brother. I was with Sol at Leicester 10 years earlier, so I knew him for a really long time and we ended up at Middlesbrough together too. He was someone I looked up to for a big part of my life and someone that everyone looked up to. What happened was devastating. My family took a big knock and it was such a sad time. To this day, I can’t believe he’s gone. Someone that was so young and loved so much by everyone.
I remember him very fondly and he’ll always be in my heart. Me, Sean, Rallsy and a few others went over to Paris for his funeral and the amount of people that were there was unbelievable. It shows what sort of person he was and I don’t think I’ve fully digested it yet because it was such a shock. I knew about his illness, but you never really knew with Sol because he was always smiling, but he meant so much to me.
You’re playing in the charity game later this evening and travelling down as we speak. Are you looking forward to lacing up your boots and getting back out there?
Cardiff is a club so close to my family’s heart and I still speak to the doc. The club hasn’t forgot about me either, so its always nice if they ring and ask me to get involved in stuff. I can’t wait to get back out there because I’ve been back, but I didn’t leave on good terms and I didn’t know my last game was going to be my last game. The way Neil Warnock brought everyone together, it was like a big family and we’re all still really close, so if its anything relating to Cardiff, I do my best to try and get there.