Cardiff City's new academy making time and space for future Aaron Ramseys

Cardiff City's search for future stars is being assisted by Dr Who.

But it may well be that Aaron Ramsey ends up having as much influence as the timelord on tomorrow's Bluebirds.

Ramsey - Cardiff's most successful graduate - has a message printed on one of the walls of the club's brand new academy facility on the outskirts of the city.

It is a complex housed in the main by a structure that previously held the Dr Who Experience exhibition in Cardiff Bay.

It dominates the 16-acre site - which also boasts myriad pitches for Cardiff's youngsters, as well as those to serve Cardiff University's student teams and the community of Llanrumney - having been dismantled, transported, reconstructed and repurposed after the attraction closed six years ago.

Club director Steve Borley - who admits he bought the building on impulse before the academy plans took off - believes it saved as much as £5m in the overall cost of the collaboration project that Cardiff invested £8m in.

"It's not just investment today, but investment over 10 years," said Cardiff chief executive Ken Choo. "(Owner) Vincent Tan has always been supportive of the project, he's been here during the development and is very excited about it. It's a big step for the future of the football club."

There are analysis suites, player care offices and an indoor surface where the Bluebirds hope the next generation's potential will be polished.

But, step inside the Bluebirds' very own Tardis, and there is a reminder that they have their own hero who has returned from the past that is not a work of science-fiction.

Like father like son?

Shirts of years gone by welcome you in the reception, starting with Nigel Rees' whose cross set up the 1971 winner against Real Madrid. Next to it is Ramsey's shirt from his 2007 debut as a 16-year-old when he became the club's youngest player.

A full 16 years later, he is back as a 32-year-old where his eldest son Sonny is now a member of the academy, with Ramsey already a regular visitor.

Ramsey senior was there on Saturday morning, hours before scoring in the south Wales derby, as Cardiff beat Swansea in front of their own fans for the first time in a decade.

Wales and Cardiff midfielder Aaron Ramsey is a firm supporter of the club's academy programme

"Most definitely the hope is to find the next Aaron," admits businessman Borley, whose first involvement in the club came via an interest in youth development 25 years ago.

"It's always great to see youngsters coming through because every City fan wants to see one of their own - so to see Aaron coming back is fantastic.

"And he is going to do a great job of bringing through more of those youngsters whether they are nine or 19.

"He came here the other day and joined in with the foundation group and the kids were just amazed they were playing alongside Aaron Ramsey.

"He has an affinity to this club, he's demonstrated that, and although a lot of people doubted his reasons for wanting to come, he's been absolutely genuine."

Choo agrees, saying for all the club's investment, it is hard to put a figure on Ramsey's impact: "He will leave a big mark on this city. He will leave a legacy."

Ramsey the manager?

The summer arrival has helped the feel-good factor around a club who have spent two seasons fretting over relegation to the third tier, but could have happened sooner.

Borley admits Ramsey initially instigated thoughts over a move last January but his contract situation at Nice prevented it, but he would follow every fixture and message after every game.

"Even now I get a message after every game," he adds. "He's just enjoying himself here and it's amazing we brought somebody back to the club who offers more than just what he can do on the pitch.

"And I think he can have a future here after finishing playing. He wants to get into coaching, football is his life and I think the club seems to be his life.

"You don't have to ask him twice to do anything, he'd be volunteering to do it. He wants to be here and do sessions with age groups and I think he'll just carry on and carry on and you never know, he may end up managing us one day."

At the moment, Cardiff are happy with Erol Bulut who, speaking at the official opening of the academy a few hours before Tuesday night's Championship win over Coventry City, said he is keenly aware of the desire to promote players from within.

"I'm not sure Aaron had something like this, it is a great facility," said the Bluebirds boss. "But you still have to work hard and we will work hard to get more Ramseys on the pitch, to get more like the Colwill brothers (Rubin and Joel). Everything goes through hard working."

It will not be just Ramsey who inspires, with the indoor arena named after former midfielder Peter Whittingham who died in 2020 at the age of 35.

"He was one the best footballers, if not the best, I've seen," Borley says. "It's difficult to accept he's not here, but he'll be here in spirit and that's important for us."

With skills arenas and gym areas, Bulut joked he was envious of the facilities with the club's most recent accounts mentioning plans for a new first-team training ground, something Choo admitted were in the pipeline but that the global economics meant the club needed "small steps before we can run".

It is a similar message for first-team progress under Bulut, shying away from promotion talks and saying that a top-half finish would represent steady improvement after recent campaigns.

That is for the future, which is what Cardiff hope their investment - and teleportation of the Dr Who building - will help secure.