What Vincent Tan has said about Joe Ralls as shock Cardiff City exit news revealed | OneFootball

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has issued a heartfelt message to club captain Joe Ralls as he prepares to leave the Welsh side

Cardiff City have announced the emotional departure of long-serving club captain Joe Ralls, who will be bringing his 15-year association with the Welsh side to an end once his contract officially expires this month.

The Bluebirds are conducting an overhaul of the squad which suffered relegation from the Championship to League One last season, with a new era now looming on the horizon under the stewardship of freshly-appointed head coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

Cardiff have already cleared house by releasing eight other players at the end of their current contracts alongside Ralls, with the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Yakou Meite, Dimitrios Goutas, Anwar El Ghazi and, most recently, Andy Rinomhota all moving on.

Plagued by injury knockbacks in recent times, Ralls featured on just 21 occasions in the Championship last time out as Cardiff dropped to the third-tier, but he leaves CF11 as an undoubted modern-day club legend with 409 appearances and two promotions to the Premier League under his belt from 15 years of service.

From academy hotshot to first-team captain, Ralls will leave behind him not only a legacy but a significant leadership void, while Cardiff would do well to replace his dependability, work-ethic and tenacity in the midfield engine room.

A number of current and former teammates have taken time to publish farewell messages to the 31-year-old, and Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan has also weighed in to thank Ralls for his service over the years.

What Vincent Tan has said about Joe Ralls' Cardiff City exit

In an official club statement published to announce the news, Tan paid tribute to Ralls alongside chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo.

Tan described Ralls' incredible loyalty and commitment to the cause both on and off-the-pitch, which saw the skipper strongly involved with Cardiff City's Community Foundation and a range of initiatives across South Wales throughout his time with the Bluebirds.

Tan said of the midfielder: "Players like Joe Ralls don't come around very often in the modern game. Joe has displayed incredible loyalty and love throughout his 15 years here.

"Whether it has been in the midfield, or showing leadership behind the scenes, and always joining in with our community, he has been a figurehead and a gentleman in everything he does.

"He has the respect of everyone at Cardiff City Football Club. Thank you, Joe."

Joe Ralls will be difficult to replace at Cardiff City

Although Ralls' importance on the pitch has perhaps diminished somewhat with injuries beginning to take their toll, there is no downplaying the void that will be left around the club from his departure.

Cardiff will likely have a much younger squad in League One next season as they look set to promote more youth academy products into the side at the disposal of Barry-Murphy - who himself will no doubt lean towards young players in both recruitment and squad selection - but with so much experience also leaving, they will have to look to ensure some kind of balance.