Jon Parkin, a former professional football player, played for a variety of clubs throughout his career. However, one of his most notable stints was with Cardiff City, where he played for two seasons from 2011 to 2013.

Despite a dearth of appearances for the club, he became somewhat of a cult hero around the Cardiff City Stadium. His large, bulky frame and “take no prisoners” endeared him to the City fans.

Jon Parkin left in somewhat controversial circumstances. In this blog post, we’ll explore why Jon Parkin left Cardiff City, with some quotes from the man himself about his time in the Welsh capital.

Why did Jon Parkin leave Cardiff City?

Firstly, it’s worth noting that Jon Parkin’s departure from Cardiff City wasn’t exactly unexpected.

Despite his contributions on the pitch, he had fallen out of favor with manager Malky Mackay towards the end of the 2012-13 season. In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Parkin revealed that he had been frustrated with his lack of playing time:

“I was in and out of the team and it got to the point where I needed to be playing more games. Cardiff were flying high in the Championship, and it was tough to break into the team.”

“I was in and out of the team and it got to the point where I needed to be playing more games. Cardiff were flying high in the Championship, and it was tough to break into the team.” However, Parkin also hinted that there were other factors at play. In the same interview, he revealed that he had been “treated like a bit of a leper” by Mackay and his coaching staff:

“I wasn’t getting much of a look-in, and the way I was being treated by the coaching staff was a bit strange. I was left out of the squad for some important games, and I didn’t really understand why.”

These comments suggest that there may have been some behind-the-scenes tension between Parkin and the Cardiff City hierarchy. While it’s unclear exactly what went on, it seems that Parkin wasn’t entirely happy with the way he was being treated by the club.

In a separate interview with the Daily Mail, Parkin shed some more light on his departure from Cardiff City. He revealed that he had been told by Mackay that he wasn’t part of the club’s plans for the future, and that he should look for a new club:

“Malky Mackay told me that he was looking to bring in some new players, and that there wasn’t really a place for me in the squad anymore. He said I should try and find a new club, and I respected that.

Parkin also suggested that his wages may have been a factor in his departure. He revealed that he had been earning a significant amount of money at Cardiff City, and that the club may have been looking to trim their wage bill.

Parkin was on £100,000 a year at the Cardiff City Stadium. Compared to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, that seems like spare change, but was decent money in the Championship over a decade ago.

Jon Parkin also had a clause which would have doubled his wages if Cardiff were promoted. The Bluebirds were looking good to go up that season, but weren’t sure if Parkin warranted a 100% increase in his weekly pay.

However, he was barely playing under Malky Mackay. All in all, he played only 11 times for the Bluebirds, scoring his only goal for the club on his debut.

He was left as the fifth choice striker at the club. The Championship is a long season but even this was pushing it to get any game time.

Stuck behind Kenny Miller, Joe Mason, Rudy Gestede and Robert Earnshaw, Parkin had little hope of playing. All four men were international players, with Parkin spending his career in the lower leagues of English football.

In his book “Feed the Beast”, Jon Parkin details how he was pushed out the club by then-manager Malky Mackay. The Scot froze him out of the first team, making it clear he wanted him out the club as soon as possible.

“Mackay had frozen me out of anything and everything. I never travelled or trained with the first-team and he made me do extra work with the youngsters. I just wanted out and he clearly wanted me out as well.”

Ultimately, it seems that Jon Parkin’s departure from Cardiff City was a combination of factors.

While he may have been frustrated with his lack of playing time and the way he was being treated by the coaching staff, it’s also likely that the club was looking to move him on in order to make room for new players and reduce their wage bill.

Regardless of the reasons behind his departure, Parkin remains a popular figure among Cardiff City fans, and his contributions to the club won’t be forgotten anytime soon.