Cardiff City Stadium has to be Cody Drameh’s happy place in what’s been a very short career so far. The Leeds United right-back’s one and only run of senior football came with the Bluebirds and not only was it consistent minutes, it was of consistent quality too.
Drameh was voted Cardiff’s best player in 2021/22 on the basis of 22 matches in a 46-game season. The 21-year-old returned there on Sunday and ensured he let the home fans know he acknowledged them and their support over those four months.
What Drameh didn’t get in Wales, on this occasion, was a place in the starting line-up. Going back to a stadium he was so used to starting in neatly summed up where Drameh is at in his career.
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There are three weeks of the transfer window remaining and as yet no sign of an imminent exit, but with three first-team appearances all season, only injuries at Leeds would now give him the playing time he wants. Jesse Marsch is doing all he can in press conferences to reassure Drameh of his importance and he wonders if things might have been different if last May had gone another way.
“I like Rasmus [Kristensen] and Luke [Ayling] a lot, too,” said Marsch. “It's interesting. We had Cody in at the end of last year and he wasn't convinced this was going to be the right place for him to come back.
“Then he came into pre-season and he's kind of worked through the year, played with the 21s a lot and the idea of being here has grown on him a lot. Maybe it could have gone differently if that feeling was there from the beginning. We're in a good place now with Cody and I like him a lot. He's committing to this at the highest level.
“We have to figure out what that means and how we continue to have him as part of our group and in the long-term vision, I want him to be here. Period.”
When pushed on what exactly Drameh needs to stick around at Elland Road this month, Marsch was clear. He said: “Playing time. Playing time.
“Every player wants playing time and when they don't get it obviously they want to be part of it. Cody is, for me, knocking on the door in a big way, in a big way. Right now he just has to continue with the same mentality and keep every day pushing to show how good he is and he's done that.”
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