Thu Mar 26, 2020 10:33 am
€90m Man Utd stars and compensation rows - the much-hyped Swansea City prospects and where they are now
This is where some of Swansea's most promising players ended up
26/03/20
Mathew Davies
Ryo Miyaichi of Arsenal takes on Gwion Edwards of Swansea during the Barclays Premier Reserve League match at Underhill Stadium on October 3, 2011
Swansea City’s production line has reeled off a number of outstanding talents over the years. The decision to invest a large chunk of the Premier League money into building the academy and developing players has paid off in a big way.
Indeed, the sale of players in recent windows for huge sums has kept the club afloat in these challenging times since relegation to the Championship.
Here we look at some of the products who came through the system and where they are now. Some are at the very top of the game, while others ploughed a different route.
Kyle Copp
Big things were expected of the Swansea starlet from a young age. Copp joined the Swans at the age of just six, representing the club’s academy at every level for over a decade.
Scouts from the biggest teams in the country would make trips to Mynydd Newydd playing fields in Swansea specifically to watch him play.
He told WalesOnline back in 2018: “It was a lot to take on as a youngster, when people are turning up to see you play. I was just a kid from Penlan.
“For people to want to watch me play... it was nice.”
Handed his first professional deal in 2015, the Penlan-born midfielder was released 12 months later and, for the first time in his life, was forced to look for football outside of Swansea. A bold spell in Spain followed, preceded by time spent with Merthyr. Copp is now doing well with Llanelli Town.
Joe Allen
A man who needs no introduction. The Pembrokeshire product is still a firm fans' favourite in these parts. Scoring in the South Wales derby while still a teenager will do that. In tandem with Leon Britton Allen learned from the best and under Brendan Rodgers he went from strength to strength. The Northern Irishman would take him to Liverpool after just one season in the Premier League, but he left with supporters' best wishes - testament to how fans felt about him.
When Jurgen Klopp succeeded Rodgers at Anfield Allen was eased out, and despite being keen to rejoin Swansea, he signed for Stoke City in 2016, where he remains. Currently sidelined with a serious Achilles injury.
Daniel James
Again, another who everyone will know about. Welshman James has had an explosive 18 months, going from not playing at Shrewsbury on loan to making a £15million move to Manchester United. Under Graham Potter, James announced himself to the footballing world with a stunning goal against Brentford in the FA Cup and a magic performance against Manchester City in the same competition. The winger has had an immediate impact at Old Trafford, doing so in the shadow of his father passing away. He has a big future ahead of him for club and country.
The global sports site Football Observatory value him at 90million euros. Not bad for a lad who couldn't get minutes in League One.
Ben Davies
Davies' situation is a bit different to the rest. They say that one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity, and that was the case with Davies when Swansea's incumbent left-back Neil Taylor broke his ankle during the first home game of the 2012-13 season. New manager Michael Laudrup thrust Neath-born Davies straight into the first team and he didn't look back.
For two years he looked solid in the full-back berth and his displays attracted Tottenham, who signed him and Michel Vorm on the same day. A certain Gylfi Sigurdsson came the other way as part of the deal - a decent sweetener, for sure. Davies is still with Spurs but has been hampered by injury this term.
Oli McBurnie
Another who former Swansea coaches Cameron Toshack and Gary Richards nurtured through the ranks and who has gone on to big things at the very highest level of the game. He scored goals for fun in the age-grade ranks for Swansea and when Potter arrived in South Wales he built his team around the centre-forward. Another whose work-rate is second to none, a £20million move to Sheffield United last summer crowned his achievements.
His first season at Brammall Lane has been a successful one, with the Blades in the mix for an unlikely Champions League qualification charge when the campaign resumes.
Josh Sheehan
Josh Sheehan in a Swansea City friendly match in 2014
Joined Swansea at the age of 10 and was highly rated in the corridors of power at the Liberty Stadium. He went on tour with the first-team squad to the US in the summer of 2014 and made his League Cup debut later that season. As with many players, the step up to the league was out of his grasp, and he spent loan spells at Yeovil (twice) and Newport County in order to get game-time.
Sheehan eventually joined the Exiles on a permanent deal in 2018, where he has been one of their standout players.
Emyr Huws
Huws never played a game for the first team and left when he was a teenager, but he came through the ranks and justifiably makes the cut. From Llanelli, he spent five years in the club's age-grade system before Manchester City came along and took him off their hands, provoking a bit of a row and Swansea to seek compensation for his signature.
His move to the Etihad didn't work out, though, and he made just one appearance for the first team and was loaned out to Northampton Town, Birmingham City and Wigan - the latter of whom he joined permanently in 2014. Another loan to Huddersfield followed, before joining Cardiff City in 2017. That move was another that didn't work out. He's now the League One side Ipswich.
Gwion Edwards
Ryo Miyaichi of Arsenal takes on Gwion Edwards of Swansea in 2011
Edwards was so close to making his Premier League debut for Swansea, before it was cruelly snatched away from him. He told us last year: “It was the last game of the (2011/12) season and we were playing Liverpool at home.
“I was on the bench and it came into the last five minutes of the game, so I’ve got stripped and am ready to come on. Brendan’s (Rodgers) got his arm round me, telling me the tactics, but the ball didn’t go out of play.
“At the time Swansea used to pass it and Liverpool used to pass it and the fourth official put the board up and added two minutes. The ball eventually went out a minute into the stoppage time but our ball boy threw the ball to (Martin) Kelly, the Liverpool right-back and he took a quick throw before the ref could turn and do the sub.
“Then there was no time left and I didn’t get on.
“My mum still has the shirt at home. All the lads signed it and told me how gutted they were for me that I didn’t get on. At the time I wasn’t too worried because Brendan had said I was going to be a part of the team the following season.
“But two weeks later Brendan went to Liverpool and Michael Laudrup came in and he wasn’t really looking at the young lads. We didn’t get much of a look in and that’s when I went out on loan to St Johnstone.
“Football, eh. It was disappointing at the time but you have to use those things to motivate you.”
After a loan move north of the border to St Johnstone, he headed to Crawley Town, Peterborough then Ipswich, where he is now.
Richard Duffy
Swansea-born Duffy made his debut at age 16 in 2001 to much fanfare at the Vetch. Three years later he sealed a move to Premier League side Portsmouth for a fee of £300,000 - big money for Swansea at the time. But despite Harry Redknapp giving him his Pompey debut, his stay on the south coast was shortlived.
He was loaned to Burnley the next season, before joining Coventry three times on temporary deals. He returned to Swansea to play under Kenny Jackett in 2007. In later years he would find a home with Exeter and Port Vale, before joining Notts County in 2016, where he stayed until last season.
He was last seen representing Northern Premier League Division One South East club Kidsgrove Athletic.
Thu Mar 26, 2020 1:05 pm
Why has this been posted? It’s an article purely about our main rivals, and has nothing to do with our club.
Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:04 pm
I thought it was quite interesting regardless of what team it was. I'll bite & say what about Cardiff ?