HUDSON: CHANNEL THE PROMOTION SPIRIT

Recovering Captain encourages team-mates to prosper

Now in his fifth term as a Bluebird,Mark Hudsonknows that his role as Club Captain is perhaps more crucial than it ever has been.

City’s 2012/13 Player of the Season suffered a hamstring injury at Manchester United back in January - a setback that signalled the end of his 2013/14 on-field involvement.

cardiffcityfc.co.ukBut in an exclusive chat with , Mark updated us on his road to recovery and stressed the importance of a united team ethic on and off the field as this Barclays Premier League campaign draws to a close.

“I am five weeks post-operation now and to be honest I'm feeling really good,” said Mark. “I'm ahead of schedule and that's what you get with working with a Premier League medical department. I'm back on the bike now, doing the usual stuff, stretching and trying to get as much strength as I can really.

“Basically,I overstretched in that game against Manchester United, got bumped the wrong way and the ball caught my heel. My standing leg overstretched and damaged a tendon in my hamstring. It’s a similar sort of tear as you get with an Achilles tear, but obviously not as severe. An Achilles tear requires a massive operation, but thankfully mine was pretty straight forward.

“The recovery date the surgeon gives you is very general. Obviously we can speed things up a little being in every day, so I'm lucky in that respect. I'm up to six weeks, starting to strengthen the muscle and getting it where it should be before I get onto running. I will probably be fit and training with the physios toward the very end of the season, but obviously then it’s about getting to a level of fitness.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjær recently spoke of the Skipper’s continued involvement with the squad throughout the week and the importance of the boys having their inspirational leader with them during this season’s run in.

Having been Club captain since linking up with the Bluebirds back in the summer or 2009, Mark remains committed and aware of his off-field responsibilities – arguably as important now as they have ever been.

“I’ve been in this position before andI know what my role entails when I'm not playing,” he reflected. “Basically, it's exactly the same as if I was fit. When I'm around the boys I'm upbeat and positive, just doing what I would normally do. It’s unfortunate to miss the run-in as exactly the same thing happened towards the end of last season.

“We've all got to drive in the right direction though, the same direction - everybody has to have the same goal. Some of the lads have been in similar positions to where we are now, while others haven’t. We’ve got to have the same drive and belief as we did when we were promoted 12 months ago. There are seven games left to play and we must fight for each other to get the points that will keep us up.”

The final word though was left for us room-mate and friend, David Marshall – a man whose imperious form continues to wow supporters and commentators alike.

“He can't stay away from the plaudits at the moment,” Mark said, with admiration. “He's had an absolutely fantastic season, he's on fire. He's got us so many points from so many games. Marshy deserves every bit of credit he’s got this year and he will only get better. He’s still got age on his side too for a goalkeeper so he’s only going to go on and improve. He’ll be a top goalkeeper for years to come.”