CARDIFF City manager Neil Warnock says the lure of regular first-team football was behind Peter Whittingham’s decision to leave the Bluebirds for Blackburn Rovers.

Warnock admitted Cardiff couldn’t compete with Rovers’ offer of a two-year deal for the midfielder who became Tony Mowbray’s first signing of the summer this week.

The 32-year-old, who made 450 appearances for Cardiff after arriving from Aston Villa in 2007, was offered a new deal by the Championship club, but on reduced terms.

However, Warnock says it was the lure of playing regular football that saw Whittingham leave South Wales for East Lancashire, rather than for financial reasons.

“He wants to play and he’s got a two-year contract offered to him, and you’ve got to take your hat off to that,” Warnock told BBC Wales Sport

“I think he's realised he’s not going to be instrumental in playing every week here.

“His agent said to me it was similar terms to what we offered him.

“I think Peter could have played a part next year but I don’t think we could, at this stage, offer him a two-year deal.”

Whittingham scored 98 times in all competitions for Cardiff during his time with the club.  That included seven in his 37 outings last term.

However, Warnock says he couldn’t guarantee Whittingham the playing time he desires next term, adding: “You could see last year how frustrated he was at not being able to play and not being in that starting 11.

“Probably going down a division gives him more opportunity as well to play and you’ve just got to accept he’s at the stage of his career where you do want to play.

“A lot of people don’t even think about playing and they just go for money, but that’s not Peter.

“Peter just wants to play and you’ve got to take your hat off to him. Good luck to him, sometimes you need a little challenge later on in your career.”