Joe Bennett: Cardiff defender 'stronger' after Leroy Sane tackle criticism

Cardiff City full-back Joe Bennett says he has learned lessons from his last appearance against Manchester City.

The two clubs face each other at Cardiff City Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday following the Bluebirds' promotion last season.

"I didn't mean to catch him the way that I did and looking back it was a bad tackle," Bennett, 28, said.

"But I think it's made me stronger as a player and I definitely improved as the season went on."

The defender was sent off later in the 2-0 fourth-round defeat for a second yellow card.

But it was his late tackle on Sane in the first half - described as "naughty, nasty and high" by Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer - that saw Bennett widely criticised.

Bennett apologised publically but said he was hurt by the media fall-out that followed: "It's something that I wasn't really proud of. I didn't realise how bad it was at the time but looking back it didn't look great, especially with the pictures.

"Obviously it was blown up a little bit. The national media, once they get hold of something it stays in the media for a few days. I apologised for it and moved on.

"With the likes of Greg (Cunningham) coming in at left-back it's given me even more motivation to do well and push on.

"I think personally I want to try and stay in the team and do well for the manager and hopefully I can do that."