Mulryne joins Bluebirds

Cardiff City have signed former Norwich City man Phil Mulryne for the new season.

The Northern Ireland international has impressed Bluebirds boss Dave Jones during a trial spell with the South Wales club this pre-season.

The former Manchester United player was searching for pastures new after ending a six-year spell with Championship rivals Norwich City.

The 27-year-old joins former West Bromwich Albion centre back Darren Purse and former Wolves winger Kevin Cooper in completing a move to Ninian Park.

Meanwhile, Cardiff owner Sam Hammam has revealed his reasons for replacing Lennie Lawrence with Jones.

The former Wimbledon chairman admitted that the squad needed rebuilding after a turbulent season that saw The Bluebirds finish just above the Championship relegation zone last term.

Hammam felt a change was necessary to revive the fortunes of the financially-stricken club.

"Drastic changes had to be made to the football team and we couldn't have been able to do that if we kept Lennie because it was his team," Hammam told the Western Mail.

"If you looked at the squad, every player had either been signed by Lennie or re-signed by him.

"We needed to make changes at the club - we needed to change players and the manager.

"We have underachieved on the football front every year since I came to the club five years ago.

"Even when we've won promotion (in 2001 and 2003), we've underachieved. We won those promotions by the skin of our teeth.

"Dave knows what he wants to do. With him, everything is in black and white.

"Dave's football style is to hunt in packs, to pass and move. I felt in the past we were playing too much long-ball stuff, so I like the way Dave wants to play.

"He is operating under difficult conditions. We have had to cut our budget by a third and we have had to sell players.

"But Dave is confident about what he is doing and the first signs are good."