Peter Whittingham made such an impact at Cardiff that fans instantly called for a statue to be built in his honour when news emerged that he had been badly injured.
The midfielder, who has died aged 35 after falling outside a Barry pub on March 7, made 459 appearances for the Bluebirds after arriving from boyhood club Aston Villa in January 2007.
A dead-ball specialist with a devastating left foot, his swagger in possession and ability to make things happen soon won the home faithful over.
“The ball went for a corner,” Bellamy wrote. “Peter Whittingham bent a brilliant delivery into the box and Ben Turner scored. Credit to them. I admired their refusal to give up.”
Whittingham finally returned to the Premier League in 2013 when Cardiff, backed by wealthy new owner Vincent Tan, won the Championship title under Malky Mackay.
It was to prove a one-season stop, but Whittingham remained a firm favourite of the charismatic Tan.
“I watch every Cardiff match and I told them: ‘You guys have no confidence. Peter Whittingham is capable of shooting and scoring score goals from 30 yards, so have a go’,” Tan said to Wales Online in February 2016.
Whittingham ended his career at Blackburn, playing his final game in April 2018, but his heart remained in Wales and he continued to live in the Vale of Glamorgan with wife Amanda and their young son.
