By Gareth James
Sheyi Ojo believes he can become the derby day decider for Cardiff City at Bristol City in the Severnside clash.
The Bluebirds have suffered a run of five successive derby defeats, but their encouraging start to the campaign has given them optimism ahead of Sunday’s noon showdown.
Boss Steve Morison was the first to highlight his side lost both the home and away clashes to arch-rivals Swansea City and Bristol City last season – and pledged to stop the rot in the 2022-23 campaign.
Ojo is set to start up front at Ashton Gate and is confident his side can continue on an upward trajectory after home wins over Norwich City and Birmingham City.
“In my last game against Bristol City for Cardiff we won 2-0 at Ashton Gate, so I’ve got good memories of that,” said the 25-year-old Ojo.
“The aim is to turn things around after a disappointing season in 2021-22. I was happy to come back to Cardiff after my previous loan and feel very positive being back here.”
It’s easy to get carried away with new signings, but moving Perry Ng to centre back and making him an integral part of the way this Cardiff City team wants to play is one of the best things this new Bluebirds regime has done. Credit where it’s due #CCFC https://t.co/tVk71huOJm
— Glen Williams (@GlenWilliams12) August 20, 2022
Ojo scored five goals in 42 games for the Bluebirds in the 2020-21 season. That was during Covid and he didn’t get to experience playing in front of fans either home or away.
He went out on his final loan from Liverpool to Millwall last season, but has now committed his future full time to Cardiff after being given a free transfer from Anfield.
He played just over nine hours of football for Liverpool in 13 appearances, scoring on his home debut in an FA Cup tie.
“I spent most of my career at Liverpool out on loan and it really was a sink or swim experience. It wasn’t easy,” said Ojo, who won 48 England caps from U16 to U21 level from 2011 to 2017.
“It is difficult because you go into a new club, meet new players, new coaches and have to adapt to a new style of play. And all of that is in a new town or city.
“It might sound a long time when you say you are there for a season, but the time goes quickly, especially if you get an injury.
📆 Wardy’s winner, Pilks’ piledriver and a night to remember in January 2010…
We’ve had some memorable moments at Ashton Gate over the years!
Read more about three of our favourite Severnside fixtures 👇#CityAsOne
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) August 20, 2022
“It doesn’t give you much time to stamp your authority on things, but it is all part of the journey.
“I learned a lot through going on loan, both good and bad, and it can only make you stronger as a person. A lot of the top players have done it and you learn from your experiences.
“It can only be a positive experience and there is more support for players from their parent clubs these days. That is making things easier, but you have to be strong mentally.
“My first loan was at Wigan when I was 17 and it was nerve racking going to my first training session. Luckily I knew one of the players and so he became my bridge into the team.
“The biggest thing is staying mentally at a good level. Throughout my journey I’ve been up and down emotionally, so the key is being consistent mentally.”
From Wigan he went on further loans to Wolves, Fulham, Rangers, Cardiff and Millwall. He also had two spells in France at Reims.
Sheyi Ojo Aiming To Prove A Point After Joining Cardiff City On Loan https://t.co/z2cGSwaTEL via @Dai_Sport_
— Dai Sport (@Dai_Sport_) September 7, 2020
“Playing in a different country with a different language and culture just added to the difficulties, although I did manage to learn some French by the end of my time at Reims,” he added.
But now he is happy to finally lay down some roots in the Welsh capital and try to pick up where he left off a few seasons ago.
“Realistically, Cardiff is a Premier League club and it is all about getting the club back where it belongs. It’s really good to be back here,” added Ojo.
“It’s a different experience this time round, playing with fans. It was Covid season last time I was here, with no fans.
“It’s nice to see fans, play in a full stadium. We’ve had a good start to the season and we’ve had some good support away from home.”
The Bluebirds fans have snapped up all their allocation for Ashton Gate and the Robins have sold more than 20,000. It should make for a great game, with Ojo looking for a repeat of his last visit.
