Swansea City's 2007 five-figure signing remains one of their best ever: View | OneFootball

Swansea City signed Angel Rangel from Terrassa for just £10,000 as a League One club

Key Takeaways

When then League One side Swansea City signed Angel Rangel from Spanish semi-professional side Terrassa in the summer of 2007, it's fair to say that the right-back would have been an unknown quantity on these shores.

The Swans, who were led by Roberto Martinez at the time, spent just £10,000 to bring Rangel to South Wales 17 years ago, and it's fair to say that it proved to be an incredible piece of business.

A now infamous story told in SA1 is that Martinez went to Spain on a scouting trip to Spain in search of a striker, but instead he was blown away by the efforts of the 24-year-old right-back, and couldn't resist trying to sign him.

Rangel would put pen-to-paper on a deal with Swansea in the summer of 2007, becoming a professional footballer for the first time in his life, and he'd spent the next 11 years at the Swansea.com Stadium, cementing his reputation as a club legend and playing a key role in Swansea's best period in recent history.

The £10,000 transfer fee proved an absolute bargain for Angel Rangel

Rangel couldn't have joined Swansea at a better time, and he quickly cemented himself as the club's first choice right-back during the 2007/08 season, which saw the club lift the League One title and win promotion to the Championship.

Having been playing semi-professional football a year prior, Rangel was now playing against some of the big names of English football in the Championship, but the step-up in quality didn't bother the Spaniard, and he continued to put excellent performances in, week-in, week-out.

It quickly became apparent to the Jack Army that they had a special talent on their hands, and they couldn't quite believe their luck that they'd been able to sign Rangel for just £10,000.

The right-back played 43 times during the 2010/11 season as he helped the Swans win promotion to the Premier League, and just four years after being signed for £10,000, Rangel was playing in the top-flight of English football.

Over the next couple of seasons, Rangel would help Swansea lift their first ever major trophy in the form of the League Cup, and captained the club on one of their most famous days, wearing the armband as his side beat Valencia 3-0 at the Mestalla in the Europa League.

Being a player who had played semi-professional football in Spain, it must have been a surreal experience for Rangel to captain his side against one of the big clubs in his homeland, and it only emphasised just how meteoric his rise had been at Swansea.

Over the next couple of seasons, Rangel continued to be a regular starter for Swansea as they cemented their position as a stable Premier League club, and he was handed the honour of club captain for the 2017/18 campaign.

However, it was to prove a disappointing campaign for both Rangel and the club, and injuries coupled with his age leading to him falling down the pecking order meant he played just four league games and Swansea were relegated.

After 11 years and 374 appearances, Rangel was released in the summer of 2018 and joined QPR on an initial one-year deal.

While relegation was far from the perfect ending to what had been a fairtytale career at Swansea, Rangel left with his head held high after two promotions, a cup win, and seven seasons in the Premier League – cementing his status as a club legend.

Angel Rangel will go down as one of Swansea City's finest servants

While Rangel's performances on the pitch made him a fan favourite, his conduct off the field also helped him gain huge respect in the city, and despite being born in Spain, Rangel has made Swansea his long-term home.

In January 2013, Rangel and his wife took to the streets to feed homeless people in freezing conditions, and it recently emerged that the Spaniard was coaching a local football team post-retirement.

It would be a surprise if Rangel didn't end up working for Swansea in some capacity in the future, and he's someone who still commands the full respect of the Jack Army.

Having spent the best part of 17 years in the city and even developing a Welsh accent, the Spaniard fully understood what it took to be a Swansea City player and everything the club means to the local people.

For £10,000, you'll struggle to find a better Swansea City signing, and the right-back will go down with the likes of Leon Britton and Alan Tate as a modern-day club legend.