International friendly: Montenegro v Wales Venue: Gradski Stadium, Podgorica Date: Wed, 12 August Kick-off: 1930 BST Coverage: Live on BBC TWO Wales and online & full commentary on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru
Ledley loves lead Wales role
Joe Ledley hopes to put his heartbreak of losing the Cardiff City captaincy behind him when he leads Wales for their friendly in Montenegro.
The 22-year-old midfielder has been linked with Premier League moves and was stripped of the Cardiff captaincy due to his ongoing contract stalemate.
But in Craig Bellamy's absence, Ledley will lead Wales again on Wednesday.
"We are all disappointed that Craig is not here, but I am delighted to be given the arm-band again," Ledley said.
"I was disappointed to lose the [Cardiff] captaincy," he said. "But I have got to get on with it and move on."
Ledley enjoyed a successful stint as skipper of his home-town club last season as he led the Bluebirds to an 11-match unbeaten run in the Championship.
The Wales international led by example as he inspired Cardiff to the brink of the play-offs, losing out on a top-six finish in the final 15 minutes of the season due to a late final-day defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
But Ledley has only one year left on his Cardiff contract and his future at his boyhood club remains uncertain with top-flight clubs such as Everton, Stoke City, Hull City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United all linked with him.
I am from Cardiff... being captain meant more to me than anything
Wales captain Joe Ledley
The 29-times capped Welshman is still in contract limbo and Bluebirds boss Dave Jones warned Ledley before the season started that he may axe him as Cardiff captain.
Jones stated last week: "It may get harder to pick him as captain. We know we'll get full commitment off Joe but we want that in a contract rather than just going out and playing."
The Cardiff boss ensured it was no empty threat as he named summer signing Mark Hudson as his captain for their 4-0 opening day win over Scunthorpe United.
And lifelong Cardiff fan Ledley admits: "I was disappointed to lose the Cardiff captaincy at the weekend, I was told on Friday.
"I understand where the gaffer is coming from, but I felt I did well last season as captain.
"It is down to him and the chairman what they want to do, but I am happy and aim to keep playing my football.
"I still have a year left on my contract, so there is still time (for a new contract).
"I have been at Cardiff for a few years now and I have to accept the situation. I can still achieve what Cardiff want to achieve, and that is promotion."
"Being captain meant more to me than anything. I am from Cardiff, and my family were chuffed because it is important to all of us that I am captain of Cardiff.
"But you have to move on. It is all to do with my contract, but I still have a year left and there is still time to sort something out.
"There is no rush. But it is down to them, it is their decision. I am only 22, there's plenty of time left for me and I hope I can stay as Wales captain for many more years to come."
Ledley has led Wales twice, in a 1-0 friendly victory over Estonia and in their 1-0 2010 World Cup qualifying win in Azerbaijan in June where the average age of John Toshack's squad was just over 21.
He stands in again for regular captain Craig Bellamy in Podgorica, despite the presence of experienced defenders and Premier League pair Danny Gabbidon and James Collins in Wales' squad.
"I maybe felt that with some of the seniors boys back from injury, James Collins and Danny Gabbidon, that I would not hold on to the Wales captaincy," admitted Ledley.
Ledley was a young rookie coming through the ranks at Cardiff when Gabbidon and Collins were in the first-team before their moves to West Ham United.
Gabbidon used to give Ledley a lift to first-team training before he passed his driving test.
"I am great mates with James and Danny off the pitch," said Ledley.
"I came through at Cardiff with them as seniors to me and now I find myself dishing out orders.
"It is a great honour to be captain of Wales, to lead a great bunch of lads.
"It is a great team, I feel we are going places now, and I hope that some of the younger players can look up to me and we can move on to success together."
Ledley was cleared to play after recovering from an illness which forced him off during Cardiff's 4-0 win over Scunthorpe on Saturday.
"Joe has done the job in the last two matches and we've had a couple of decent results," said Wales manager John Toshack.
"We will leave it at that for the time being."
Wales: Wayne Hennessey (Wolves), Lewis Price (Derby), Owain Fon Williams (Stockport), James Collins (West Ham), Neil Eardley (Blackpool), Danny Gabbidon (West Ham), Chris Gunter (Nottm Forest), Craig Morgan (Peterborough), Lewin Nyatanga (Bristol C), Sam Ricketts (Bolton), Ashley Williams (Swansea), Jack Collison (West Ham), David Cotterill (Sheff Utd), Owain Tudur Jones (Norwich), Joe Ledley (Cardiff), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Simon Church (Reading), Rob Earnshaw (Nottm Forest), Sam Vokes (Wolves).
Montenegro: Vukasin Poleksic (Debrecin), Mladen Bozovic (Partizan Belgrade), Savo Pavicevic (Energie Cottbus), Marko Basa (Lokomotiv Moscow), Luka Pejovic (Mogren), Milan Jovanovic (Rapid Vienna), Radoslav Batak (Ankaraspor), Vladimir Bozovic (Rapid Bucharest), Miodrag Dzudovic (Spartak Nalchik), Nemanja Nikolic (Red Star Belgrade), Simon Vukcevic (Sporting Lisbon), Milorad Pekovic (Mainz 05), Nikola Drincic (Amkar Perm), Mitar Novakovic (Amkar Perm), Mladen Kascelan (LKS Lodz), Elsad Zverotic (Lucerne), Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina), Radomir Dalovic (Rapid Bucharest).
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