By Gareth James
Tommy Doyle felt on top of the world when Pep Guardiola offered him a four-year contract extension at Manchester City in 2020.
But he admits it feels just as good having the faith of Cardiff City boss Steve Morison in his ability as he tries to develop his career at the Bluebirds.
Doyle opened the scoring with a classy goal at Huddersfield on Wednesday night, but could not prevent the Terriers – inspired by Wales’ Sorba Thomas – hitting back with late goals to earn a 2-1 victory.
The comeback denied Doyle and Cardiff a fifth win from seven games and they remain 19th in the Championship table, a point behind Birmingham City.
After an unhappy first loan this season from the club at which he first started as an eight year old, the now 20-year-old midfielder is thriving in the Championship and loving the chance of playing week in, week out in “men’s football”.
A last minute move to Hamburger SV in the second tier of the Bundesliga at the start of the season failed to work out for the young midfielder, who never got to start a game. But a change of country and league last month has certainly done the trick for him.
“I’m at a stage in my career where I feel I can only get better. When you have a manager who believes in you it’s a great feeling,” said Doyle.
Tommy Doyle’s fantastic first goal for Cardiff earlier today. pic.twitter.com/Cb5BzbEjlF
— TJ (@_TJ932O) February 24, 2022
“For one reason or another it didn’t work out for me in Germany, but I don’t regret the decision to go there. Everything happens for a reason and it didn’t dent the confidence I have in myself.
“I needed the trust of the manager in Hamburg to get a chance to play. If that had happened things might have been different.
“But any disappointment I felt over that experience only served to help me at Cardiff. It took me out of my comfort zone.
“Now I’m loving life in Cardiff. The manager has given me the chance to play and the results have been pretty good so far.”
Doyle has played in all nine games since his arrival and helped the Bluebirds pick up 13 out of a possible 21 points to move 15 points clear of the relegation zone.
Along with Morison’s other loan signings, Cody Drameh and Jordan Hugill he has helped to transform the team.
But was it a wrench for the player who has captained England at every level from U16-U20 and made seven first-team appearances for Man City to leave Manchester City?
Especially as his two grandfathers, Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe, are club legends who played 950 games between them for City.
Forever my hero! I love you so much. Rest easy 💙 pic.twitter.com/NblrNfVzET
— Tommy Doyle (@Tommy_Doyle8) May 26, 2020
“You can only improve when you are playing and training with so many great players at Man City and I’m honoured to be able to count many of them among my friends,” said Doyle.
“Working under Pep, who is an unbelievable manager, has also been invaluable. What he has done is incredible and the club is in a great place at the moment.
“But I’d been playing U23 football at the club since I was 17, as well as Champions League matches at U19, and it was time to get out and play some proper men’s football.
“I couldn’t have been at a harder club to break through into the first team at that City, but I want to show them I am getting ready to play for them. For now, that is all in the future, because I have a job to do at Cardiff.”
That job continued at high-flying Huddersfield where he scored a 61st-minute opener.
But substitute Josh Koroma cancelled out Doyle’s goal before Jonathan Russell scored deep into stoppage time as Huddersfield closed to within two points of the automatic promotion places.
The game came to life in the closing half hour with both benches involved in a late flashpoint after Cardiff striker Jordan Hugill’s challenge on Tom Lees.
HIGHLIGHTS | HUDDERSFIELD vs CARDIFF CITY https://t.co/uKnLCtyYQ2
— Cardiff City Forum (@CardiffCityChat) February 24, 2022
Cardiff boss Morison insisted: “For 80 minutes it was a pretty perfect away performance and what we had asked if the lads.
“We should have gone in at half-time, winning. They had a lot of the ball but didn’t really hurt us.
“We had all the chances and the place was getting frustrated. Then we get the goal.
“But games change on moments and the incident with Tom Lees geared them up and got the fans right behind them. Their bench is always vocal and loud. That’s what you get when you come here.
“He [Hugill] caught him but he didn’t mean to catch him. He didn’t make a movement towards him [Lees].
“Everyone had their opinion. They were trying to get him sent off, we were trying not to get him sent off.”