Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Wednesday, March 22.
Watters: I'm loving it at Barnsley
Max Watters says he is "loving" life at Barnsley after scoring a crucial goal in Barnsley's 4-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the South Yorkshire derby last night.
Watters has endured an up-and-down time of it at Oakwell, having arrived not match fit before scoring and getting sent off in the same game against Cambridge United.
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He has had to bide his time, with Devante Cole and James Norwood leading the line well for Michael Duff's team, but he came on against promotion rivals Wednesday last night and banged home the goal to make it 3-2 to the Tykes.
Speaking about his time at Barnsley, Watters said: "I'm loving it here, it's a great club. The lads up top, Nors and Coley are smashing it. So I fully understand. I just have to be ready when called upon. It was an amazing feeling to score in front of our fans there, to celebrate like that.
"But it's only three points. We'll park it and get ready for Exeter now.
"It's such a good feeling in the changing room, we are over the moon after that. It was such a good start, but Wednesday are a good side, they came back at us and you saw our response.
"I don't know too much about the goal to be honest, a few of the lads reckon it was a bit of a scuff, but I'm not sure about that!"
The forward has one more year left on his Bluebirds deal.
Luthra details Bluebirds debut
Rohan Luthra has spoken for the first time since making his Bluebirds debut up at Preston North End last week.
Having come on due to Jak Alnwick's stoppage-time sending-off, Luthra told the Daily Mail of his introduction: "It felt like one of those old school Nike adverts where the geezer has got the GoPro on their chest or their head," he laughed.
"They’re looking around, looking down doing skills, they’re looking around the stadium. I remember running on trying to fix my gloves, and as I was running, I was like 'Oh my god, it feels exactly like that. I'm actually here. I've actually managed to get on the pitch.'
"It was weird. I've always thought when the day came I'd be nervous but I guess it all happened quickly. I didn't have any time to be nervous. It was great."
Luthra, a former England youth international, joined Cardiff from Crystal Palace in 2021, choosing the Bluebirds over now Premier League side Brentford.
And his first-team debut at Preston means Luthra, of Indian descent, became the first goalkeeper from Britain’s South Asian community to play in the Championship.
He said: "It's nice to hold something like that, a piece of history. I hope now I can continue doing it and hopefully keep inspiring people to want to do the same.
"Help impact someone's life maybe by this giving them an extra push and deciding 'This is what I want to do'."
The 20-year-old is one of only two goalkeepers in the top two divisions who has played this season and is eligible for England under-21s next season. No doubt a motivating factor for him.
But speaking about his hopes for the future, he said: "Ultimately, I want to look back at my career in maybe 30 years’ time and be proud of it. I want to know that I've pushed myself to the highest level I can go and reach my potential. The potential that everybody is telling me that I've got.
"I think I'm lucky in the respect that I don't let things get to my head ever. I'm quite a level headed person, really calm. So if I continue to work how I am and have the mind-set I’ve got nothing can stop me from getting were I should be going."
South Wales derby legends match confirmed
Andy Legg, Graham Kavanagh and Scott Young will be among the Bluebirds legends playing in a South Wales derby organised in aid of ex-Cardiff City and Swansea City favourite Jason Bowen.
Bowen was recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and spoke about it in a heart-breaking and candid interview which you can read here.
Bowen's family have set up a GoFundMe page if supporters want to donate money to help fund his treatment. However, some of his old friends and team-mates are also starting their own initiative.
Legg, a close personal friend of Bowen's, posted on social media last night that a South Wales derby match between legends will take place in order to raise funds.
As well as those mentioned above, players who played for both clubs such as John Cornforth and current Bluebirds under-18s boss Steve Jenkins will also be playing, while Lee Trundle will captain the Swans.
The game will take place on Sunday, April 23 and all proceeds from ticket sales go to the family of Jason Bowen.
- You can donate to the Bowen family’s campaign here
Nkounkou form U-turn
Niels Nkounkou's rip-roaring form at St Etienne has seen him earn a call-up to France Under-21s' squad.
The left-back, who was on loan from Everton, endured a tough time of it in south Wales at the beginning of the season and was culpable for a number of goals conceded.
However, he did show quality with the ball at his feet at times, but the Bluebirds sought defensive rigidity by placing Callum O'Dowda ahead of him in the pecking order in that position.
Everton wanted their player to be guaranteed game-time so recalled him and immediately sent him to France with St Etienne, where he has thrived.
France play against England on March 25 before taking on Spain on March 28.
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