"Fantastic talent" - Former Norwich City striker tipped for Cardiff City success | OneFootball

The summer arrival is yet to be given any first-team minutes in the Championship

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It has been a frustrating start to the 24/25 Championship season for Cardiff City, with the Bluebirds picking up just five points from their opening nine league matches of the campaign.

That early form was enough for the Welsh side to sack Erol Bulut last month, with the Turk leaving the club after just 14 months in charge at the Cardiff City Stadium.

With a number of seasoned stars and high-profile names making the move to the club, more was expected of this City side, with a number of players failing to live up to their billing, with the former Premier League side sitting bottom of the pile heading into the international break.

With a number of young stars waiting in the wings, any incoming boss may be tempted to give academy stars a chance when instated, so we spoke to Football League World’s resident Bluebird Jack Price about who we should be looking out for from the next cohort of stars.

Michael Reindorf tipped for the top after making Cardiff City debut

A lot of City’s issues so far this season have come in front of goal, with just four strikes in their opening nine league matches proving just what troubles they have been facing in the final third.

Callum Robinson has two strikes to his name, while Perry Ng and Ollie Tanner have also found the back of the net, with the rest of the side still goalless with two months of the season gone.

With that in mind, Price has his eyes on a young striker who is ready to make the most of his opportunity if given the chance in the coming weeks, and help to allay his side’s fortunes in the final third.

When asked which young player could be the next to breakthrough into the first-team, Price said: “There are a few I could pick from here, because impressively, we have made real inroads in our academy system in recent years.

“It has been a big objective of the board to bring more young, homegrown players that we can profit on, and they have built a new training base, so with all of that it is producing some promising talents for us.

“That said, the pick of the bunch for me has to be Michael Reindorf; he hasn’t really come through our ranks - so to speak - we signed him from Norwich in the summer, but he looks like a fantastic talent.

“He is 19-years-old, he is a striker who can lead the press; he puts himself about, he can close down space, he will hustle and harry off the ball, but he also has real quality, confidence and skill to get on the ball and make things happen.”

Bristol Rovers, Southampton showings prove Michael Reindorf could help Cardiff City forward crisis

Having made the move from Norwich City in the summer, Reindorf has already been given minutes during his brief time at Cardiff, with a couple of League Cup matches giving him the chance to prove his ability.

A 30-minute cameo against Bristol Rovers in August gave Bluebirds fans a first glimpse of the 19-year-old in the flesh, before a first start for his new side came in a 5-3 defeat to Southampton later in the month.

It may still be early days, but Price is adamant that the teenager could be a useful addition to first-team matters if depended upon, with his early showings proving his quality ready to be unleashed.

He continued: “We saw all of that in abundance when we played Bristol Rovers in the League Cup on his debut, where he was a real handful.

“There was one moment where he did a flick, and it was a bit like Lee Tomlin’s famous assist against Leeds in 2019, where he flicked a ball over the top, and it went through to Andy Rinomhota, who nearly scored.

“He provided real quality, he is very gifted but also willing to do the hard yards as well, which is quite uncommon for a young attacking player, particular one of real skill and flair like Reindorf.

“So he would be the one I would pick, because I honestly think he would be playing in our first-team now, and it is frustrating that he hasn’t been.

“He has offered more in the two League Cup games that he has played than Wilfried Kanga has through his eight games, so Reindorf definitely deserves to be playing.”

Cian Ashford, Joel Colwill also tipped for the top from Cardiff City academy

Reindorf isn’t the only star in the making coming through the ranks in the Welsh capital, with Cian Ashford another player pinpointed by Price to make a name for himself in the professional game.

Having earned five appearances last season, the 20-year-old has come off the bench in two matches so far in the current campaign, and is expected to be trusted more and more as he continues to develop.

Price added: “I think he could have a big future if we are going to give him the opportunities in the first-team, and I think another one would be Cian Ashford.

“He has had his breakthrough towards the end of last season with a goal against Southampton, and I do think he could also have a good career.

“A special mention as well to Joel Colwill, who is ripping it up for Cheltenham Town in League Two, and I do think he will have a real good season next year when we do have him back.”