Football League World
·9. November 2024
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·9. November 2024
Brian Flynn brought Lee Trundle to Swansea City in the summer of 2003 and he certainly didn't disappoint
Lee Trundle is remembered by Swansea City supporters as one of the club's greatest ever signings, and it's no surprise given his goalscoring antics and highlight reel.
Trundle joined the Swans from Wrexham in the summer of 2003, a couple of months after the club had managed to avoid relegation to the Conference and non-league football with a 4-2 win over Hull City on the final day of the season.
What followed was a remarkable four-year spell with the Swans, where Trundle became one of the most famous players in the country outside the Premier League, and wrote his name into Swansea City folklore.
Brian Flynn, who was Swansea boss when Trundle signed, had previously signed the striker at Wrexham, giving him his big break in professional football after playing for local clubs around Liverpool and in the Welsh Premiership, and he proved spot on in his decision to bring the striker to south Wales.
Swansea were rebuilding in the summer of 2003 to ensure they never found themselves in the sort of relegation battle they had during the 2002/03 campaign ever again, and Trundle was one of a number of signings that Flynn made.
Flynn knew all too well what Trundle was capable of having worked with him previously, and he tipped the striker to make a big impact at the Vetch Field, a prediction which came true.
Flynn told the BBC in July 2003: "It's a massive signing. I know he's going to do well and score goals.
"He's got the ability and potential to play at the highest level and can change a game in a second.
"He's different, he's a goalscorer, but he's also a team player."
It didn't take long for the Jack Army to realise that their manager wasn't lying, and Trundle scored 22 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club, including a memorable winner against Championship side Preston as Swansea reached the fifth round of the FA Cup, but better was to come.
He scored 23 goals during the 2004/05 campaign, helping Swansea win promotion to League One, and while Trundle was a prolific goalscorer, he developed a reputation thanks to his skills and trickery, becoming a regular feature on Soccer AM's 'Showboat' segment.
Despite promotion to a higher division, Trundle scored another 22 goals in his third season at the club, including a wonder strike against Carlise United to win the EFL Trophy at the Millenium Stadium, and he helped Swansea reach the play-off final, losing in heartbreaking circumstances on penalties against Barnsley.
A further 20 goals in his final permanent season at the club meant that it was only a matter of time before a side from a higher division came calling, and he joined Championship side Bristol City in the summer of 2007.
He did actually return to Swansea on loan from the Robins during the 2009/10 season, where he wasn't quite as successful in front of goal, but he still added five goals to his tally as his professional career drew to a close.
Other than a brief spell with Preston, the spell on loan with Swansea was his final venture into the professional game, and it's clear that's where his best days were.
Flynn was right, Trundle was a goalscorer, and his 91 goals for Swansea ensured he'll always be fondly remembered in SA1.
Despite being born and bred in Liverpool and having last played for Swansea in May 2010, Trundle has made Swansea his home, and he currently works for the club in an ambassadorial role.
This means that he's always spotted in the stands of the Swansea.com Stadium, and while he's got his career away from the football pitch with the Swans, he's still playing football at a decent level too.
Despite being 48, Trundle has played for a number of local clubs since returning to live in Swansea, playing for the likes of Llanelli Town, Haverfordwest, Ammanford, Mumbles Rangers and Trefelin, who he joined in the summer of 2024.
Trefelin play in the Cymru South, the second tier of Welsh football, and despite his age, he's still banging in goals for fun for the Port Talbot-based outfit.
At the time of writing, Trundle had scored ten goals and registered six assists in 14 appearances for Trefelin this season, a simply incredible return for someone in his late 40s.
You only have to look at The New Saints' exploits on the European stage to realise that the Welsh system has dramatically improved in recent years, and the fact that Trundle is still scoring goals on a regular basis in the second tier speaks volumes about his talent.
Trundle will go down as a Swansea City great, and his goals both at the club and elsewhere show that Flynn was spot on in his assessment of him 21 years ago.