Earnshaw is a Bluebird

It is official Robert Earnshaw is a Cardiff City player again and will be managers Malky Mackay fourth new signing on a two-year contract.

In a short statement from Cardiff City,

"Cardiff City can today confirm that Robert Earnshaw has returned to the Club as a free agent from Nottingham Forest. The paperwork has been completed and is subject to Football League approval after being signed last night."

With only Jon Parkin and first year professional Nathaniel Jarvis on the books, it is finally good to have a new striker in the squad. The last time Earnshaw played for Cardiff was back in August 2004 in the Carling Cup against Kidderminster he also score is last goal for the Bluebirds.

The squad that night

T. Warner,

R. Weston , D. Gabbidon, J. Collins, T. Vidmar,

J. McAnuff, W. Boland , L. Bullock, P. Parry

A. Campbell R. Earnshaw

Subs: N. Alexander, B. Anthony J. Robinson, G. Kavanagh, S. Fleetwood,

After the Kidderminster game, he was next off on international duty with Wales and his next league game saw him make a second half debut at Anfield for West Brom in a 3-0 defeat. It took six more league games before he opened his scoring account.

He is coming to Cardiff and there will be a lot of pressure to live up to the past Earnie from before is move to West Brom. At is recent club Nottingham Forest where he has spent the last three years he has started in 79 league and cup games and 30 games off the bench. He has scored 45 goals with only nine goals last season.

Can little Earnie be on his way back

Soon to be seen at the CCS

The return of the prodigal son is on the cards as the local Rumour Mill goes into overdrive. If you believe, Mr exclusive Carl on the AAMB (Annis Abraham Message Board) there will be an official announcement tomorrow and Wales online are reporting a dramatic return for the former cult hero.

He is out of contract and has early as today reports from Nottingham suggested he was locked in talk with Forest’s new boss Steve McClaren about resigning for Nottingham Forest. He left Cardiff under a cloud, not of his own making it was the than Chairman Sam Hammam who sold him after making stupid comments like those below.

Thanks to the ‘The Lone Gunman’ for these quotes from his blog - The Lone Gunman - Shooting From The Lip - Click link here for more words of wisdom for the mouth of Sam Hammam.

“I will bet anyone that we won’t sell Robert Earnshaw. The bet can be £50 or it can be £100,000. My message to anyone who thinks we will sell Earnie is this – put up or shut up.” (June 2004)

“I pour scorn on suggestions that Robert Earnshaw will be leaving. West Brom is a club I admire. It’s a well-run club and a good club, but in future years it’s the sort of club we are looking at to become one of our nursery clubs. When we get to where we want to be we’ll need a nursery club in the Midlands.” (July 2004)

“Robert Earnshaw will be leaving Cardiff City, but not for ten years at least. We are hell-bent on keeping Earnie and all of our other leading players.” (August 2004)

“Considering our financial situation, something had to give. That’s why we sold Robert Earnshaw to West Brom. We need to strengthen in a number of positions and we now have the funds to do that.” (September 2004)

It has been over seven-years seen he donned a Cardiff City shirt in anger and if the stories are true he still has the magic to do the business on the pitch. Since leaving Cardiff his travels have taken him to West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, Derby County, and Nottingham Forest playing making just over 200 appearances both starts or from the bench, scoring 80 goals.

A return for Earnshaw?

A campaign sprouting on the social network by Cardiff City fans to support a return of fans favourite Rob Earnshaw back to Cardiff  has seen the player talk to South Wales Echo. Simply put he would love to come back to Cardiff City and would never rule out a return.

He is one of many players out of contract at the end of the month and I am sure there would be a number of clubs who would be interested in having him in there squad. I have never really been a fan of players or manager coming back to their original clubs. Take the last two players to return to Cardiff after spells away Michael Chopra and Jason Koumas both I would say failed to hit the heights of form they had the first time around.

He (Earnshaw) only scored nine league goals last season from 27 starts plus nine appearances from the bench. Mackey will know the ins and outs of Earnshaw being a coach and manager at Watford he would have had numerous reports on him. We will have to see if Mackey wants him or feels he would fit into his system of play. Someone once told me Earnshaw was a one trick pony and easy to read by the opposition not sure what he meant or if he meant in past or now, but I think he would be better off somewhere anywhere, but Cardiff.

Speaking to the paper Earnshaw said:

“People how close I am to the club and its supporters.

“I have a lot of fantastic memories at Cardiff and once I return from my holidays next week I will sit down with my agent and see what the best step forward is for me and my family, but I would not rule out rejoining Cardiff.

“I have several offers on the table and I do not want to put any more pressure on the new manager (Malky Mackey) as he’s just been in the job for a few days, but I loved it at City when I was there. If there was a formal offer on the table when I get back, who knows it could be a goer.

“I’m aware of the whispers back home linking me with Cardiff and I’m Flattered.

“But at this moment in time that is all they are, but once I speak to my agent I’m sure things will start moving very quickly one way or another.”