Cardiff City: Peter Whittingham agrees new contract extension

Peter Whittingham of Cardiff City.

Peter Whittingham has signed a new contract with Cardiff City, which will keep him at the club until June 2017.

The midfielder has played more than 300 games for the Bluebirds since arriving from Aston Villa for £350,000 in 2007.

Whittingham, 29, made 34 appearances last season, scoring three goals, as Cardiff were relegated after their first season in the Premier League.

"I just felt at home ever since I moved here. I have really enjoyed my time and I have loved most bits of it," he said.

"I'm really happy about [the new contract]. At the end of last season the manager [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer] said he wanted to keep me."

Now Whittingham is concentrating on helping Cardiff in the Championship and returning to the top tier of English football at the first time of asking.

"I thought we acquitted ourselves okay [in the Premier League] but obviously it wasn't the ending we wanted, but it gave everyone that drive to go again and get back there," said Whittingham.

"We need to bounce back straight away. It's going to be a tough ask, we know that because we know what a hard league the Championship is.

"But it's about getting off to a good start. The manager has got some good players in, we've got quite a big squad here so there'll be a bit of rotation - and it's probably needed in the Championship with the number of big games coming."

Cardiff have signed striker Adam La Fondre from Reading, fellow forwards Federico Macheda and Javi Guerra, midfielders Guido Burgstaller and Kagisho Dikgacoi, plus goalkeeper Charlie Horton.

But there is speculation over the futures of Gary Medel, Steven Caulker and Fraizer Campbell with all three linked with moves away from Cardiff City Stadium.

Scotland midfielder Don Cowie has left after failing to agree a new deal with Cardiff, joining Championship rivals Wigan Athletic on a two-year contract.