Source: Team_Talk
Ledley shrugs off Cardiff exit talk
Ledley, 22, became one of Wales' youngest-ever captains in Llanelli on Friday when he led the side to a 1-0 victory in a friendly international against Estonia.
Now manager John Toshack has confirmed that Ledley will keep the arm-band when Wales make the exhausting trip to Baku for a World Cup qualifier with Azerbaijan next weekend.
Ledley has only one year left on his Cardiff, and the midfielder is almost certain to be sold to a Premier League club this summer, with Everton, West Ham and Stoke all showing interest.
But Ledley says: "I have heard nothing about a move, and all I want now is to concentrate on playing for Wales and doing my very best for my country."
Robert Earnshaw's first-half penalty gave Wales victory at Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets.
And for Ledley it was a special night. He said: "Being captain of my country is a great honour, it is every boy's dream.
Everyone wants to lead out their country.
"I felt it went fine, we were getting some fitness back into us and we will be trying to get a good result in Azerbaijan.
"I've been captain at Cardiff and that helped me. I was just pleased that we got a win on my first game as skipper, but I do not expect to hold onto it when the likes of Craig Bellamy, Simon Davies and Danny Gabbidon are back fit again.
"It will be a lot different next week. It will be very hot and they will be putting us under a lot of pressure."
As for £6m rated Ledley's own future, he says: "I will just wait and keep playing as well as I can. Whatever happens will happen, although I have not been told anything about any move.
"Maybe my time will come, but I can only wait to see what
happens as the summer progresses.
"Obviously every single player wants to be in the Premier League, and I am no different. I thought I was going to make it with Cardiff this season but it all went wrong in the end.
"But I am contracted to Cardiff. There has been no offer of a new one, and I will just carry on doing my best for them as I always have done.
"It won't break my heart if nothing happens. I can look forward to the club moving to a new stadium and hope that what I want to achieve in football I can do at Cardiff.
"But it is going to get even harder with teams like Newcastle coming down, but I still believe that Cardiff have good enough players to achieve promotion next season."
Boss John Toshack, who has fitness worries over Ched Evans (back) and Jack Collison (knee) for the trip to Baku, predicts a torrid time for his youthful squad.
He fielded the youngest-ever Wales side on Friday, average age 21 and with 10 of the 17 players used 20 or younger.
Toshack said: "Most of our players have not been involved in a match since the beginning of May. Working in the gym is no substitute for matches, and the Estonia game has shown that our fitness levels are not high.
"But we hope that we will be much better next weekend and we have gained a lot of fitness.
"It is going to be a real test for these young players in a hot climate in a very hostile atmosphere.
"It is not an easy place to go, a lot of the top sides in Europe have struggled in Baku.
"They needed to push themselves against Estonia, the game in Azerbaijan will be a lot different and at a much higher tempo and we need to be ready for that.
"We have a few things to chew over now before we fly to Azerbaijan.
But they must realise that it will be a very hard game, a tough
place for these young players.
"We are lacking the experience for such a difficult away games, these lads are going to have to learn as they go.
"They will be fancying their chances when they see how young a side we will have. The are a hardy team, with hostile fans.
"It will be a good character builder for our lads, something they have not experienced before."
