By Kasey Rees
Will Vaulks is hoping to put six months of frustration behind him today by helping Cardiff City achieve derby day revenge.
The Wales midfielder is desperate to be part of the Bluebirds’ line-up for the second South Wales dust-up of the season against Swansea City at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Swansea beat Cardiff 1-0 in the reverse fixture at the Liberty Stadium in October last year, and despite the fixture being 108 years old there is still history to be made.
Should Swansea beat Cardiff they will become the first team to secure the league double in matches between the clubs.
Cardiff go into the fixture off a back of 6-1 Championship loss at QPR, with Vaulks on the scoresheet at the final whistle.
Having featured in Cardiff’s losses against Leeds and Reading, he said: “I haven’t been in many games since signing for Cardiff and I haven’t started a home game for us in the league.
“It is disappointing as the away fans are great and obviously, they are a smaller proportion to home fans so it will be nice to give the fans something.
“I didn’t play in the last derby, so it will be nice to be involved in it as I have always enjoyed playing in derby matches as they suit my style.
“I am energetic, and I like to get around the pitch, tackle and be aggressive and hard working.
“But this game is not about me it is about the winning the games and the manager is not going to pick me if he wants to go with other players.
“He will only be doing that because of what is best for the team and that is what we need.”
During his time at Rotherham United, Vaulks made 110 league appearances and scored 13 goals.
Since making his dream move to Cardiff last summer, the 26-year-old imagined regular football under former boss Neil Warnock but was left fighting for his career.
Vaulks has made three league appearances and scored one goal for Cardiff, and not having regular football made him consider going on out on loan to get some game time.
But it was his ambitions for Wales that made him stay in the Welsh capital and he is now looking for a fresh start under new Cardiff boss Neil Harris.
He said: “I have had a frustrating start to my Cardiff career, this has been by far the hardest six months as a player.
“I picked to come to Cardiff because of the Wales thing, playing in the capital and having that relationship with the fans that I thought I would have here.
“When I signed for Neil Warnock, I was hoping to play regular football, but it didn’t go the way I would have liked it to.
“I don’t think I made an appearance under Warnock which is disappointing as I kept getting told I was playing, and I kept doing all that I could to get back into the team.
“But to be three or four months down the line and not kick a ball is tough to take and I have to show some resilience which I have done.
“I want to now look forward, to get myself into this team. When I came back from international duty, I approached the new manager and told him that I want a chance.
“Under him I have enjoyed it and he is someone who wants players that want to improve and do better and that is what I have wanted my whole career.
“I signed for Cardiff as a stepping stone to go on and my career has gone steadily where I have worked my way up. So, I am hoping that is still what happens.”
With the Euro 2020 finals fast approaching, gaining game time with Cardiff City is vital for Vaulks to show Ryan Giggs that he is still up for international duty.
Wales head to Baku and Rome this summer, and Vaulks is hoping to get a taste of Euro action.
He said: “Club football and international football go together, and the manager here knows that, I have to work my way to try and get a chance to go to the Euros.
“The gaffer at Wales wants his players playing regularly. You can see from the team he picks it is more than often because they are playing at their clubs.
“So that gives me that extra little boost, to get myself into the team. I want to be successful here at Cardiff and I truly believe that I will be despite what some people think.
“I want to be here. I have had a good few games and it gives you the taste for it again. I love playing football, so I am giving up.”
