By Gareth James
Perry Ng used to throw up before matches – but now he only feels sick if Cardiff City don’t win.
There are no more sleepless nights before games, or vomiting in the dressing room ahead of kick-off, for the Bluebirds defender.
When he was coming through the ranks at Crewe in League Two, Ng used to have nightmares about the giants he would have to face the next day, but those early years in the lower ranks toughened him up.
Where he once wasn’t seen as strong enough to play at centre back, now he is one of the first names down on the Bluebirds’ team sheet at the heart of a defence that has already kept five clean sheets in the Championship this season.
“I was never the greatest player when I was young, but because I could play anywhere on the pitch I got picked,” said Ng.
“I’ve never been the strongest throughout my career, so I’ve had to use my brain and my heart sometimes. Playing in League Two helped me a lot.
“That’s where I gained most of my experience, playing against some big brutes.
“You get tough away days in that division facing some 6ft 5in tall players who just want to fight you – it’s the best experience you can get to help you move up to a higher level.
Perry Ng just gets better and better each game too, such a good footballer
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“I definitely sleep better on a Friday night now than I used to then. I used to suffer so badly from nerves before games that I’d throw up before every game.”
The beasts of League Two have helped to turn the 26-year old into a granite-like Championship defender who already has 225 league appearances under his belt, 70 of them for Cardiff.
But who were those players who kept him awake at night, and fearing for his safety on the pitch? Some names will be pretty familiar.
“Tom Pope at Port Vale gave me a few boots around the pitch and I also played against Adebayo Akinfenwa a few times, and that certainly wasn’t easy,” admitted Ng.
“Quite often I’d go into a game and think to myself, what am I going to do with him? But I was lucky that I played with Chris Porter at Crewe, who is about 6ft 5in, so training with him every day got me used to it.
“When I first got into the team at Crewe we also had big Uche Ikpeazu in the squad. He is the strongest player I ever played against.
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“He threw me about a few times. It was a steep learning curve for me, but I soon ot used to it and it has stood me in good stead.”
Just about six feet tall and weighing less than 12 stones, Ng uses his speed and football brain to win his battles on the pitch.
“Early on in my career at Crewe I wasn’t trusted to be a centre-half, so I played right back or centre midfield,” he added.
“Now I feel really good in myself and I know my body really well. It started off well for me at Cardiff, although there have been some tough times, but the way we are playing now really suits me and I feel I fit in.”
Cardiff City Have The Guns To Keep Firing, Says Sharpshooter Sheyi Ojo https://t.co/nhd1rGe2ci
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Having helped to deliver seven points from nine in the three games in which Mark Hudson has been in charge since the sacking of Sean Morison, Ng sees nothing but a bright future for the Bluebirds.
They won 3-1 on the road at Wigan last weekend and hope to make it three wins in a row when they host bottom of the table Coventry City on Saturday.
“We’ve won two in a row and there will be an expectation for us to beat Coventry. They were one of the best teams we played last season, so we’ll be taking nothing for granted,” he added.
“Two weeks ago, everyone was down and depressed and we were only five points off the play offs. After a good week we are now only three points off.
“Anything can happen in this league when you are on a good run. These are exciting times, everything is positive and I think we are going in the right direction.”
