Ex-Cardiff City player Nathaniel Mendez-Laing speaks out for the first time after being sacked by the club on the eve of the season.
The former Bluebirds winger has opened up for the first time about the “silent battles” he fought last year surrounding his axing.
The Championship club shocked their fan base on September 2020 with a surprise statement to announce that Mendez-Laing had been sacked owing to an alleged serious breach of contract.
There has been silence from the winger, barring the odd social media post including one which pictured a Cardiff City Christmas present he received, and the true details of his departure is still something a mystery to everyone.
Now, Mendez-Laing has revealed in one of his Instagram posts as to the struggles he has endured in what was a particularly turbulent year for him.
“Be proud of how you handled last year,” he wrote.
“I don’t know about you but I fought so many silent battles, I had to humble myself, wipe my own tears and pat myself on the back, I’m sure most of you had to do the same, be proud of you!
“Saying that, in one of my toughest years, I gained my biggest blessing.
“Happy New Year, everyone.”
View this post on Instagram
The blessing he refers is his new son, named Tao, who was born in May and is pictured with him while on holiday in Dubai late last year.
He was also pictured training with Karin Benzema’s fitness coach out there, with suggestions he could be preparing for a football comeback with an English Football League club in 2021.
Mendez-Laing’s one and only statement about the incident was posted on behalf of his representatives FifteenEleven Management shortly after his release was confirmed.
It read: “Following on from [Wednesday’s] announcement that I have left Cardiff City FC, I would like to place on record my thanks to the fans for the support they have shown me over the past three years.
“I will be making no further comment at this time.”
The way that it is playing out, we’ll never get to find out why he was truly given the sack, however it does seem as though that his personal issues affected his career big time.
You can only hope that he is now coming out the other side and things are looking on the up for him again.
The fact that he received a Christmas present from Cardiff recently was a sign that the two are still on good terms in some way.
The 28-year-old was given a mug emblazoned with a BBC Ceefax report of Cardiff’s final match of the 2018/19 Premier League season, in which Mendez-Laing scored two goals in a 2-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The mug features the headline, “Cardiff City heap more misery on Manchester United”, along with all the match details from that memorable day.
Journalist @PaulAbbandonato wrote on Twitter: “This is massive @CardiffCityFC news – and a terrible way to start the season. But I’m told the player is very much to blame as far as the club are concerned.
“Terrible loss. But if what I’m being told is correct the club hierarchy had no option. Or, to be precisely correct here and to be fair to Mendez, club hierarchy ‘FELT they had no option’. There are, of course, always two sides to any story…”
MENDEZ-LAING’S CAREER:
2009–2012 – Wolverhampton Wanderers
2010–2011 → Peterborough United (loan) – 33 apps (5 goals)
2011 → Sheffield United (loan) – 8 apps (1 goal)
2012–2015 – Peterborough United – 51 apps (4 goals)
2012 → Portsmouth (loan) – 8 apps (0 goals)
2014 → Shrewsbury Town (loan) – 6 apps (0 goals)
2015 → Cambridge United (loan) – 11 apps (1 goal)
2015–2017 – Rochdale – 72 apps (15 goals)
2017–2020 – Cardiff City – 85 apps (13 goals)
National team
2008 – England U16 – 2 apps (0 goals)
2008 – England U17 – 7 apps (0 goals)
Fans reacted when seeing the Cardiff player speaks out after being sacked by the club…
I hope the lad is ok Glen. A great player for us and a man who ended our PL time on a good note with two goals against Man Untd. Shocked when we heard but wish him all the best for the future.
— Lauren (@Titch_7) January 2, 2021
@A17RNN: We’re missing his pace on the wings
@Mez__81: OK he is able to get the help he needs. Strange that nothing else has come out about his sacking though.
@paxoccfc: I’ll reserve my judgement and best wishes until it’s revealed what he’s actually done.
@aryahwales: We knew he was struggling with the realities of playing during the pandemic especially after having a baby. Who can blame him if he chose to stop playing to save his mental health. I hope he returns to football once all this is over.
@benjaminmott: Big loss to the club. He could have made a difference this year.
@Dai_Villalobos_: I would have him back, from seeing his Instagram he is hungry to play football again
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