During the 2008 summer transfer window, recently promoted Premier League side Stoke City offered Cardiff £5m to sign Ledley, which Cardiff turned down. On 1 September 2008, the final day of the summer transfer window Stoke made a second bid, reported to be around £6m, but this too was firmly rejected by Cardiff. On 7 October, Ledley was named Welsh clubman of the year for the second consecutive year. He scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season during a 2–1 win over Crystal Palace on 15 November when he fired in after returning to the pitch after receiving treatment due to a dislocated finger. The injury later required surgery and Ledley was expected to be out for around one month but managed to return in time to play against Swansea City, with his finger in a cast, in the first league meeting between the two sides for nine years and scored with a left footed volley as the game ended 2–2, a goal which later earned him the club's goal of the season award.