Yakou Meite revealed that Cardiff City held a dear place in his heart after scoring a poignant goal against them after his father had tragically passed away.
The forward, who became the Bluebirds' third summer signing following the arrivals of Ike Ugbo and Dimitrios Goutas, joined the club last week after leaving Reading at the end of his deal in Berkshire.
And he has said it was not a difficult decision for him to sign for Cardiff, with at least some of the reason being that he felt there was an element of fate surrounding it.
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In January 2020, Meite's father sadly died and he skipped the following game against Nottingham Forest in light of the news. His next start was away to the Bluebirds at Cardiff City Stadium, a 1-1 draw in which he scored the opener - a goal he dedicated to his father.
Lifting the lid a little more on why he decided to join City, Meite said: "I always like playing here. I like the stadium, that's why I scored a few goals here, the fans are nice, they support the lads and it's always a good atmosphere.
"If I can say also, I have a memory that will stay forever in my mind, because when my dad passed away, my next game after that was Cardiff at Reading, so it's something that I will never forget.
"Sometimes, life will make you decide to come here. It was a good memory, if I can say that, because it was a really important goal and one of the best of my career."
Clearly, Meite believes that forces beyond the footballing realm drew him to the Welsh capital. Moments in life have that affect on people.
After scoring that goal in January 2020, the 27-year-old wrote an emotional post on social media, saying: "Dad. I wanted to pay you this last tribute in my own way.
"I didn't want to be a superstar but just to make you proud, and I know that from where you are you are proud of your son. I decided to play this match because I know you would have wanted it.
"God allowed me to score this goal for you and I will remember it all my life. Thanks again to everyone. I love you Dad."
Cardiff is a place of significance for Meite and no doubt he will hope he can continue his decent scoring record at Cardiff City Stadium - he has two goals in four appearances in the Welsh capital.
Another factor in his move, though, was the glowing references of three of his pals, ex-Reading colleagues Andy Rinomhota and Junior Hoilett and his Ivory Coast contemporary Cedric Kipre.
"I spoke with Cedric, who was on loan (at Cardiff) last season, we spoke a lot," he said. "I spoke with Andy and Junior, they all told me the same, they said, 'I'm sure you will enjoy it, the fans and the city'.
"They said that it can be a club that will suit the way I want to play. I think what the new coach told me about how he wants to play - if you add everything together I thought it would be a good opportunity and a good team for me and my career."
