Championship Lowdown host Tom Woods believes Cardiff City’s Jack Moylan’s performance against Middlesbrough on Saturday was reminiscent of Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney.
The 25-year-old joined the Bluebirds for an undisclosed fee from Championship rivals Lincoln City. Moylan had appeared on Cardiff’s radar after a string of standout performances for the Imps, which saw them beat the Welsh-based outfit to the League One title last season.
It was the Irishman who sealed promotion for Lincoln, scoring an added time winner against Reading in April. His performances also earned him a nomination for the League One PFA Players’ Player of the Year, a spot in the PFA League One Team of the Season and a maiden Republic of Ireland call-up.
Said it before and I’ll say it again. Jack Moylan is a future Premier League player. 🤩
Also worth noting that the Republic of Ireland manager was in attendance today. #WeAreImps pic.twitter.com/s7nI7n3IV5
— The Football Lowdown (@FBLowdown) April 25, 2026
Moylan Hits Ground Running
There were perhaps some reservations surrounding Moylan upon his move to South Wales. Although his talent was never in question, the attacker had never played in the Championship prior to this season and it was fair to say that the jury was out before a ball was kicked.
Those doubts soon subsided and he has been a revelation for Brian Barry-Murphy’s team. Six goals and three assists in 11 league outings have seen him earn rave reviews thus far, and his goal against Middlesbrough at the weekend was the latest example of the repertoire he possesses.
An injury to striker Yousef Salech in recent weeks has seen Moylan pushed into an unfamiliar number nine role, but it is one in which he has shone. This has drawn comparisons to the legendary Wayne Rooney, with Championship Lowdown host Tom Woods making the remark on the latest edition of the in-house podcast:
“Jack Moylan, he was playing to me like a kind of a version of Rooney, when Rooney was up top and he was just everywhere. Linking play, driving forward, taking men on, setting players up.
“That was what Moylan was doing because he’s had to play at nine because Salech is injured and Cardiff decided not to sign anyone (in the summer). They’re just relying on Brian Barry-Murphy as effectively a super-power, which is kind of not working, but it’s not, not working. (But) he’s got Jack Moylan, who was brilliant.”
If there was ever a player that is destined for the Premier League, it’s Jack Moylan. He’s simply phenomenal. 💙#CityAsOne pic.twitter.com/q3O7HUikQ4
— The Football Lowdown (@FBLowdown) October 17, 2026
Moylan Premier League Prediction
Moylan is a player which Football Lowdown have long touted as a future Premier League player. Continuing, Woods admitted he wasn’t in that boat, but his opinion is starting to shift:
“His goal was excellent. I’m pretty sure he sets up (Ollie) Tanner as well. He sort of drives forward from midfield and lays it off.
“When you’ve got a player who is good, but is normally like a 10 or operates in sort of the left channel, then you’re sticking him up top in the Championship and he’s running games. Especially against a sort of back three which Boro tend to play. That’s pretty special.
“I thought he was a good player, but I didn’t think he would play Premier League. I’m now starting to look at that again and go, ‘well, he might’, because he’d have to carry it on from here because this is his first Championship season, but it’s a hell of a first Championship season.”
Cardiff currently sit 19th in the Championship and are next back in action on Saturday when they welcome Birmingham City to the Cardiff City Stadium.