"I would probably argue" - Jaden Philogene namechecked in hypothetical Cardiff City debate | OneFootball

Football League World's Cardiff City fan pundit reveals Jaden Philogene is the most naturally gifted player he has seen in a Bluebirds shirt

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...

Cardiff City are currently in the Championship relegation zone, after accumulating a total of just 15 points from 15 games, albeit they are a matter of goal difference away from safety.

The Bluebirds endured a woeful start to the campaign, and opted to sack former manager Erol Bulut, following a run in which they picked up one point from their opening six league games, and scored just one goal.

Such poor form was the Bluebirds' worst start to a season in 94 years, but they have picked up some positive results under the stewardship of interim boss Omer Riza, such as a 5-0 triumph over Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle last month.

Victories over fellow strugglers Portsmouth, and play-off hopefuls Norwich City followed, either side of a 0-0 draw with West Brom, but recent defeats at the hands of Luton Town and Blackburn Rovers saw the south Wales outfit occupy a bottom-three spot heading into the November international break.

Meanwhile, a decision over Riza's potential future as Bluebirds boss is still yet to be made, but the battle for Championship survival will continue.

With Cardiff's current struggles in mind, Football League World asked our Cardiff fan pundit, Jack Price, if he could bring back one former player to the current squad, who would it be, and why would he fit so well in the current team?

Jaden Philogene admission made

Jack said: "The one player I would love to bring back into the current squad would be Jaden Philogene, without a doubt.

"As I've said, we desperately need a winger, with a bit more directness, who's capable of beating a man, and also offer an increased goal scoring output, yeah Philogene ticks that box.

"Funnily enough, I think his final ball was the one elusive factor from his time at Cardiff, he only scored four league goals, but he was very productive for Hull last season, and then promptly earned his move back to (Aston) Villa.

"I thought Philogene was otherworldly for Cardiff, even without being great in front of goal.

"So now that he's refined that area of his game, you just think about what a signing that would be.

"I would probably argue that Philogene might be the most naturally gifted player I've ever seen at Cardiff, his ability is frightening, off the scale, and I think there's no limit to what he can go on to achieve in the game.

"Obviously, that would put us out of ever returning him, but it's good to just dream about 'what if', isn't it?

"He'd fit in well because we play with a less rigid system now under Omer Riza, one where the wingers are allowed to come inside a bit more, where our attacking players have increased freedom, and where we also transition the ball better out from our defence.

"It's a lot more ball to feet than it was, when Philogene was here, under the likes of Mark Hudson and Sabri Lamouchi.

"He'd give us what we need, he would really fit into the style of play that we're trying to implement and, of course, he's a top, top player, so, yeah, I would do anything to bring Philogene back to Cardiff."

Philogene was exceptional at Championship level

As recalled by Jack, Philogene displayed his tricky technical ability during his Bluebirds days, but the Cardiff faithful only saw glimpses of what he can offer in the final third.

During the 2022/23 season, he scored four goals and made an assist in 37 league appearances for the Bluebirds, while on loan from Villa, although he also scored during an FA Cup meeting with Leeds United.

But last season, after signing permanent terms with Hull, he produced a fantastic return of 12 goals and six assists in 32 Championship outings, and earned himself a move back to Villa Park.

Since returning to the Premier League outfit, he was even named in Unai Emery's starting 11 as Villa defeated Bayern Munich during a historic Champions League night last month, which clearly portrays his high-level ability.

It is no wonder, then, that Jack misses Philogene's Bluebirds days, while many fellow Cardiff supporters will have also been impressed by his previous exploits in South Wales, as well as more recent performances for Hull.