Cardiff City goalkeeper Alex Smithies has revealed that he is grateful for the opportunity he has recently been handed by manager Neil Harris.

The 29-year-old has started the last seven league games for the Bluebirds and been able to keep three clean sheets as he has found himself back in the starting lineup.

Smithies started ten games out of the first 11 Championship fixtures this season before finding himself dropped to the bench in place of Neil Etheridge during the middle of October.

The goalkeeper was then restored to the starting lineup last month as Etheridge found himself on the bench because of a transfer link between himself and West Ham United.

West Ham never made a move for Etheridge as he continued to be left out of the Bluebirds side and Smithies grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

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Speaking to the official Cardiff City website, he said: "I’m really pleased to be getting a good run in this team.

"I played ten games at the start of the season and enjoyed that spell.

"You’ve just got to keep working hard when you're not in the team. Ultimately it isn’t your decision if you play, but you can show what you’re capable of in training, and how willing you are.

"I’m very grateful for the opportunity and I’m glad to have been able to pay it back with some good performances.

"Hopefully I’ve been able to show the manager what I can do."

The goalkeeper signed for the club in the summer of 2018 upon their promotion to the Premier League but he only made two cup appearances during the 2018-2019 season.

The Verdict

Smithies has impressed over the last seven games since coming back into the starting 11 at Cardiff.

The keeper has proved to be a steady pair of hands and he has never failed to let Harris down in the last month.

Smithies knows that he will have to keep performing with Etheridge lurking in the background and being more than capable of starting if the current Bluebirds man occupying the spot in between the sticks was to slip up.