Joe Ledley has been with Cardiff City since the age of nine
Cardiff City captain Mark Hudson has defended under-fire Joe Ledley.
The Wales international midfielder, who is in contract stalemate with his home-town club, has been targeted by Cardiff fans following below-par performances.
Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale also criticised Ledley, 22, being quoted as saying: "Joe Ledley is playing like he is somewhere else already."
But skipper Hudson hit back: "Joe has been a great player for the club so I think it is a bit harsh on him."
Ledley has seemingly been made a scapegoat for Cardiff's poor form as the once Championship leaders have dropped out of the play-off zone following three successive defeats in a win-less November - which culminated in a 2-1 loss to struggling Ipswich Town on Sunday.
He is in the final year of his Cardiff contract so could leave next summer and the Welsh club would receive just minimal compensation, compared to £6m bids they have previously turned down.
Premier League clubs such as Everton, Stoke City and West Ham United plus Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers are said to be monitoring Ledley's contract situation at Cardiff.
His representatives advised Cardiff of the player's contract wishes in the summer before Ridsdale offered the £3.5m-rated midfielder a new four-year deal in September, a contract that Ledley rejected.
We all take it personally if one player gets singled out. We don't want that to happen as we're all in it together and that's the way every player at the club feels
Cardiff City captain Mark Hudson
Wales manager John Toshack insists that the uncertainty surrounding Ledley's future is affecting his form for club and country.
The 32-times capped international was relieved of his Cardiff captaincy duties - despite losing just five games in five months as skipper - due to the contract deadlock.
Ledley has been a talismanic figure for Cardiff since he established himself as a first-team player at the age of 17 and has made more than 200 first-team appearances.
But the one-time fans' favourite has come under criticism for displays which have fallen below his high standards and Ridsdale reportedly criticised Cardiff's prized asset at a recent public meeting with fans, according to the South Wales Echo.
But Hudson, named as Ledley's successor as skipper, stuck up for his team-mate.
"We're all together," he said. "I think we have to stick up for players like Joe.
"We all take it personally if one player gets singled out.
"We don't want that to happen as we're all in it together and that's the way every player at the club feels.
"We're all there to back each other up and it's not nice when one player gets singled out for that sort of thing.
"Joe has been a great player for the club so I think it is a bit harsh on him and he is still young with a great future ahead of him - and we're going to be there right behind him."
Ledley has been the subject of consistent transfer speculation for the last few years and Cardiff have rejected bids from Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers before turning down a £6m offer from Stoke City in 2008.
Cardiff also rejected a £6m bid from an unnamed Premier League club last January but, despite intense speculation, no club approached the Bluebirds in the summer.
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