We want to make Leeds United's travelling fans proud, says Garry Monk

Monk spent 12 years at Cardiff’s fierce South Wales rivals Swansea City between 2004 and 2015 as first a player turned captain and then manager.

Monk’s first game in charge of Swansea also came at Cardiff, in which the visitors enjoyed a 3-0 victory that will leave long in the memory of tomorrow’s hosts.

But Monk insists he has no lingering emotion concerning Cardiff and is only interested in impressing the 2,100 travelling Whites fans who will be making the trip to the Welsh capital for tomorrow’s lunch-time kick-off.

Reflecting on his former duels with Cardiff at Swansea, Monk mused: “It was brilliant and that rivalry was great from both sides. But that’s gone and it means nothing to me.

“That rivalry is nothing to do with me any more. That’s a part of my life that has gone and we have moved on.

“I am very focused on Leeds United and that rivalry because it will be a great atmosphere, I can imagine.

“We are going to take a lot of travelling fans, as we do to all of the games.

“It’s the capital city for Wales and they will have a big crowd and I think the atmosphere will be very good so we have to respond to that and respond to that travel and support that we have. We have to give them a performance that they can be proud of.

“We experienced it really well at Sheffield Wednesday and obviously at Luton – that feeling –and obviously Fleetwood as well.

“The travelling support are travelling in numbers and want the right performance again so that’s what we are concentrating on. This fixture means nothing to me and all I am focused on is Leeds, Leeds United, my players and that’s the respect I have to pay to my players.

“I am manager of Leeds United and my players are the most important thing to me. Everything to do with my history and my past means nothing.

“It’s a different chapter in my life and it’s not part of what the players need to know or understand.”

Leeds have had an abysmal record at Cardiff over recent years, but the Whites netted their first victory in 10 visits and their first since February 1984 when goals from Souleymane Doukara and Mirco Antenucci sealed a 2-0 success under Steve Evans in March.