Sol Bamba is a 34 year old Ivory Coast international who began his career at the French club Paris St Germain. He is a towering centre back and a bit of a fans favourite among Cardiff City supporters.
After he failing to break in to the first team at Paris St Germain he then moved to Scotland where he played with Dunfermline Athletic helping them reach the Scottish Cup final before being transferred to fellow Scottish Premier League side Hibernian making 75 appearances and scoring 4 goals.
His first stint in England came when he was transferred to Leicester City joining up with his former International manager Sven Goran Eriksson who would go on to compare the big centre back to footballing legend Franz Beckenbaur. Bamba scored his first goal for Leicester on his debut with his first touch of the ball in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
His spell in England came to an end when Turkish side Trabzonspor paid a 6 figure sum for his services. He stayed in Turkey for 2 years only playing 27 times due to injury and being selected for the Ivory Coast national team to play in the African Cup of Nations. He then moved to Italy to with with Serie A side Palermo playing only once before he once again returned to Britain this time with Leeds United.
He initially joined Leeds United on loan just 6 months into his Palermo contract but the move was made permanent at the end of the season. He became Leeds United captain under boss Uwe Rosler however after being critical of owner Massimo Celino and falling out of favour under new boss Garry Monk his contract was terminated. This is how his move to Cardiff City came about.
In October 2016 he signed a 2 year contract with Cardiff City in the English Championship. This has brought out the best football of Sol Bamba’s career working under manager Neil Warnock. In the 2017-18 season he was an integral part in helping Cardiff City get back into the Premier League even making the PFA Championship Team Of The Year. These performances earned him his reputation as a fans favourite with many idolizing Bamba. He continued his fine form into last seasons Premier League campaign missing only one match up until his season was cut short due to injury in early March. He will no doubt be back next season to try and push Cardiff City back into the Premier League following relegation at the end of the season and will always remain a hero in the eyes of the supporters.