Greg Halford has been on the move throughout his 15-year playing career.
He has been unable to settle into a regular playing position, operating in defence, midfield and attack.
In almost 500 first team matches for 12 clubs including Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest and Wolves, he has played in every outfield position on the pitch and admits.
Halford, 32, has made 10 appearances for the Bluebirds since arriving in January and is under contract through to the end of next season. He has already played at full-back, centre-half and in midfield for manager Neil Warnock.
“I really don’t know my best position,” says Halford, who will be a key player for Cardiff City when they set out to mount a Championship promotion challenge next season.
His ability to slot in wherever he is needed will be invaluable to Warnock, although Halford admits he regrets having been dogged by the ‘utility man’ tag through his career.
“Throughout my career I’ve changed positions,” he says. “Every manager has had a different opinion whether that has been across the back four, across the midfield or up top.
“I was a sub goalkeeper for Kevin Blackwell at Sheffield United. I can’t give a definite answer because I really don’t know my best position.
“Playing so many games throughout my career, all the positions I’ve played are pretty well spread out.
“I feel like I can do an adequate job in all of them.
“It’s hindered me. The old saying ‘Jack of all trades master of none’ comes to mind.
“I never got to master one and if I did get to master one then I could have gone a lot further.
“Three, four, five years ago I’d have given a definite answer to that question, but now I don’t know.”
Chelmsford-born Halford, who started his professional playing days for Colchester United, has completed the full 90 minutes twice, against Leeds and Blackburn away, and is now regaining full fitness.
Halford admits his career was nearly ended by injury before he joined Cardiff City in January.
He was still recovering from an Achilles problem sustained at Rotherham during November and says: “I was out for a month and I probably came back a bit too early. It could have been career ending.
“To be honest I don’t want the season to end because I just feel like getting to that fitness where I need to be.
“It’s getting better and everyday it gets stronger and I get stronger.”
Halford played under Warnock at Rotherham last season, while Cardiff’s assistant Kevin Blackwell was manager when he was at Sheffield United in 2008-09.
“Cardiff’s medical staff have been great with me because to be fair most people would have failed the medical,” says Halford. “But they (Warnock and Blackwell) knew what I could bring to the team.
“They knew it wouldn’t take that long to get me ready so I’m grateful and thankful for their perseverance with me.”
Halford is likely to operate in a holding midfield role for the Bluebirds against Ipswich Town at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.
That is a clash which features two highly experienced managers in Warnock, who has more than 1,000 league matches and seven promotions on his CV, and Mick McCarthy, who celebrates 25 years in management this weekend.
Warnock has been in charge of the Bluebirds for 27 matches, winning 11 and drawing seven. Cardiff are three points ahead of Ipswich in mid-table.
“Neil gets his team organised and really hard to play against, as he did with Rotherham,” says McCarthy. “Keeping them in the Championship was a really remarkable achievement he.
“He has retired more times than anybody I know so he loves it and I’m glad to see him because he is a pal of mine. He is colourful and makes it an event when you play his teams.
“He has a personality and seems to get the best out of the players in his team.
“That’s not the case with everybody and we have got (Cardiff’s) Emyr Huws here with us and he doesn’t get in his (Warnock’s) team, but that’s the same everywhere.
“The players he has in the team, he’s got them playing really well.”