Cardiff City new-boy Romaine Sawyers has spoken of his relief to be out of transfer limbo and says he cannot wait to get started in a Bluebirds shirt.
West Brom had an option to extend the midfielder's contract by 12 months, but it was eventually decided by both parties that they go their separate ways. Given the player's pedigree in this division, a number of clubs are understood to have been keen on his signature, including Stoke City, where he played his football on loan last season.
However, he chose south Wales as his next destination and is glad he can now concentrate on his football and get down to business on the grass.
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"I spoke to the gaffer, he explained the product that he’s got, and I feel like I want to be a part of it. The staff have been very welcoming, the players have been very welcoming," he said.
"It's good to be back within a team, I've been in limbo the last couple of weeks. I had a few decisions to make and a lot of options to pick from, but it's good to be out on the grass."
The 30-year-old is a 30-cap St Kitts and Nevis international and will become the first to play a senior game for the club when the season begins. Theo Wharton, however, a former Cardiff youth player, is also a St Kitts and Nevis international and knows Sawyers well from their days together on international duty.
Sawyers revealed that the Cwmbran-born midfielder, who now plays for Barry Town United in the Cymru Premier, wouldn't stop bleating on about the Bluebirds while they were together on international duty.
"I didn't speak to him before I came here, because I didn't want it to get out," Sawyers said of Wharton. "But obviously I will speak to him, no doubt, he was here as a youth-team player.
"He has already told me a lot about the club without even knowing I was coming here. Years ago, he didn't stop talking about Cardiff!"
Sawyers has obviously missed much of pre-season. On Tuesday he undertook some separate fitness work with Joe Ralls and Gavin Whyte, both of whom have also missed parts of pre-season, as the players ramp up for this Saturday's opening friendly against Cambridge United.
Speaking of his chances for Cardiff fans to see him this weekend, he said: "Hopefully, we'll see what the gaffer has planned for me. I want to be involved but if not I totally understand why. Ultimately, I want to be playing as many games as possible."
One thing is for sure, he will want to be involved before that first game against Norwich City comes around on July 30. He will want to show just what he can do to force his way into a midfield which has options including Ralls, Andy Rinomhota, Ryan Wintle, Ebou Adams and Rubin Colwill.
On the topic of that first game against the Canaries, he added: "It's a good time to play the teams who come down, the so-called big teams in the league. Everyone is going to be fit, fresh, hungry and it's a good statement to make if we go and get a result against them."
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