There’s a quiet confidence growing around Dylan Lawlor at Cardiff City and it’s not without reason. The young academy prospect has been catching the eye with a series of composed performances, earning praise from coaches for his decision-making and maturity on the ball. Still only in the early stages of his development, Lawlor is starting to look like one of the more promising talents coming through the system. At a club with Brian Barry-Murphy at the helm and his desire to bring through more academy products, he might just be the next in line to make that step up.
Lawlor’s Journey So Far
Dylan Lawlor first joined Cardiff City’s academy setup as a seven-year-old, coming through the pre-academy ranks with the club. The centre-back, who hails from Caerphilly, has been a consistent presence in the Wales youth setup and even wore the armband for the national side at U16 level. He was also part of the squad that lifted the Victory Shield in 2021 - a standout moment in his early career. Last season, he was a regular feature for Cardiff’s U18s, where he impressed with his calmness on the ball, tidy distribution, and strength in the air.
Additionally, Lawlor made his senior competitive debut in an FA Cup fixture against Aston Villa where he racked up 81 valuable minutes. In a post-match interview with the club, Lawlor said, "It was a surreal moment for me and my family. Before the game, I saw them in the stands and it all set in for me. It was a tough game and it was really intense compared to what I'm used to at U21 level, but I really enjoyed it.
"It's an unbelievable feeling to make your debut, especially with all the hard work and all the hours that go in behind the scenes, it's a proud moment for me, but also for my family."
Despite the result, Dylan received many plaudits for how developed his game looked against a Champions League level team, and rightly so.
Furthermore, Dylan went on to make another appearance against Norwich City on the final day of the Championship season. Aside from the double goalscorer Yousef Salech, Dylan was the highest rated player statistically and this is considering that he only came on in the 33rd minute of the game after a red-card to Calum Chambers.
DIWEDDARIAD CARFAN 🏴
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) June 8, 2025
Dylan Lawlor has been called up to the squad ahead of Monday night’s match.
Neco Williams will not be travelling to Belgium. Brysia wella Neco. pic.twitter.com/L5QjnnbvGi
Strengths, Style and Room to Grow
With the arrival of Brian Barry-Murphy as head coach, it seems like it could be an opportune time for Lawlor to break in to the first team and command his place. Barry-Murphy is a Pep Guardiola disciple and therefore has been influenced by his philosophy while also developing it in his own vision. Barry-Murphy is a coach who believes in playing a progressive and possesion-based style of football, which Dylan Lawlor could benefit from hugely.
If we look at Dylan's strongest attributes in possession of the ball, he has a great understanding of the weight of pass he is required to make, whether this may be a progressive pass or a simple one. Additionally, Lawlor looks very comfortable at playing through the lines and progressing the play, which is something Cardiff have sorely lacked, with this being the style of play they have been trying to transition to since Omer Riza's stint at the club. He is also able to control the tempo of a game and rarely rushes a pass with the ball at his feet, which Barry-Murphy will highly value as he looks to sculpt the Cardiff team into his vision of a more 'total-football' side.
Moreover, it is important to understand how Lawlor approaches the game out of possession as well. Lawlor's positioning and timing are qualities that you rarely see in a player within his age group at this level. Also, his quality in duels is another highlight with his stature helping him out in this regard. Dylan also has great recovery pace, which helps him cover ground in wide areas more effectively and this is a very important attribute when we account for counter-attacks and how poor Cardiff have been defending them in recent seasons.
Dylan Lawlor clips.
Lawlor’s Path Forward
Dylan Lawlor’s progress so far has been encouraging, but the real test lies ahead this season in a campaign where Cardiff will be expected to be at the top end of the table. After making a strong impression within the youth setup and his cameos last season, the next step will be continuing to build on that momentum and showing he can consistently handle the demands of League One football.
Within the club, there’s a strong confidence about his ability and what sort of player he can become. He excels in many areas of his game already at such a young age, which is cause for huge excitement for Cardiff fans and his coaches.
The forthcoming season will having plenty of suprises in store for Barry-Murphy and Dylan Lawlor, but he is definitely a player to be keeping your eye on throughout the campaign.
