What Andy Rinomhota has said to Cardiff City faithful as latest exit confirmed | OneFootball

The midfielder's three-year spell in the Welsh capital is now over

Andy Rinomhota's departure from Cardiff City has been confirmed, and subsequently, the midfielder took to social media to issue a message of thanks to the Bluebirds faithful.

The side from the Welsh capital will embark on their first season at League One level since 2003 in just under six weeks' time, but it will be a new-look outfit at the Cardiff City Stadium as the 28-year-old became one of nine players to depart the club after their relegation from the Championship.

At the time the club's retained list was published on June 12th, it was stated that the club would remain in talks with Rinomhota and club captain, Joe Ralls. However, following the appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy last Monday, the midfield duo have joined the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Anwar El Ghazi, Dimitrios Goutas and Yakou Meite as the most high-profile departures thus far, with all of their contracts officially expiring on June 30th.

What Andy Rinomhota has said to Cardiff City faithful as departure confirmed

The nine-time Zimbabwe international played 82 times for the Bluebirds since joining in the summer of 2022 after his lengthy seven-year association with Reading came to an end.

Aside from a 16-game stint on loan with Rotherham United during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign as the Millers finished rock-bottom of the Championship, Rinomhota has largely been a mainstay in Cardiff's engine room, registering six assists during his time at the CCS.

34 of those 82 appearances came last season in all competitions, although the man whose natural position is in the heartbeat of midfield was often utilised at right-back or in an advanced wide position under Barry-Murphy's predecessor, Omer Riza.

Issuing a personal message on his Instagram account after it broke that the midfielder wouldn't be furthering his stay in South Wales, Rinomhota said: "My time at Cardiff City comes to an end after three years full of ups, downs, and lessons I’ll carry with me.

"It wasn’t always perfect and there were challenges, but I’ll always be grateful for the journey," he added.

"Thank you to everyone who’s been involved along the way. To the fans, staff, and players I shared the pitch with, it was an honour and thank you for being part of this chapter. I leave with nothing but respect and gratitude towards the club and fans."

"Wishing the club all the best for the future and hoping they get back to where they belong. Best wishes Bluebirds💙," he concluded.

The message was also met with a plethora of comments from current and former teammates such as Meite, Ollie Tanner, Josh Bowler, Will Alves and Cian Ashford, with the homegrown starlet saying: "Gonna miss my RB, all the best brother 💙"

Cardiff City need to get rebuild job spot on ahead of League One campaign

The aforementioned Ralls praised the newly-appointed Barry-Murphy for the way in which he handled talks in such a short space of time, and the task in hand for the Irishman has now been made slightly tougher after losing two vastly experienced names.

Pressure will be on Cardiff to be among the front-runners for an immediate return to the Championship alongside the likes of Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle, whilst Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town have also conducted rather impressive early-season transfer business.

According to Capology, the Bluebirds were estimated to have boasted the second tier's seventh-highest wage bill last season, and several high earners have now been released, which would have been crucial in order to inject new blood and energy into the club, whilst Callum Robinson's predicament remains intriguing, as the club's top scorer has been linked with a return to Preston North End.