Swansea City's stunning team they could name today had they kept their best players | OneFootball

We took a look at the starting XI Swansea City could name had them kept their best players over the last decade

Thanks to their strong academy and time in the Premier League, Swansea City have seen some excellent players depart the club in the last decade or so.

A number of academy graduates have gone onto enjoy top-flight football both in England and abroad in recent seasons, while others have become household names in the Championship.

There have also been players brought in from other clubs who Swansea have helped nurture before selling them to other clubs, and they could field an impressive starting XI this season had they been kept at the club.

With that in mind, we've looked at how Swansea's team this season could look if they'd kept their best players from the last decade. It must be stressed that no loan players are included, so the likes of Connor Gallagher and Marc Guehi are ineligible, but there are still some excellent players involved.

GK - Lukasz Fabianksi

He may be 39, but Lukasz Fabianski is still going strong at West Ham, and while he's primarily used as a back-up, he's still made a number of appearances this season.

Swansea's current goalkeeper, Lawrence Vigouroux, has been excellent this season, and he's the best permanent shot-stopper they've had since Fabianski, but the Polish international's experience coupled with his performances during his time at Swansea sees him start.

Fabianski spent four years at Swansea, making 150 appearances where he kept 39 clean sheets, joining West Ham after the Swans' relegation in 2018.

RB - Connor Roberts

Born in nearby Neath, Connor Roberts came through Swansea's academy before breaking into the first-team in 2017/18.

Over the next couple of years, the 29-year-old was a regular for the Swans in the Championship before completing a move to Burnley in 2021 following Swansea's play-off final defeat against Brentford.

He made 152 appearances for the Swans, and is currently a mainstay in Scott Parker's Burnley side following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

CB - Joe Rodon

Another Swansea City academy graduate, Joe Rodon, made his breakthrough with the Swans after relegation in 2018, and just two years later he earned a move to Spurs after 54 appearances for the Swans.

His time at Spurs wasn't a huge success as he struggled for regular minutes, and after loan spells with Rennes and Leeds United, he joined the Whites on a permanent basis in the summer.

He's now one of the best centre-backs in the Championship, and looks set to play an important role as Daniel Farkes's side target a return to the top-flight.

CB - Ben Davies

Another Neath-born product, Davies came through Swansea's academy ranks and was handed his debut by Michael Laudrup during the 2012/13 season.

He immediately became a regular in the Premier League, and after just 85 appearances across two seasons, he joined Spurs in 2014.

He's remained in North London ever since, and has made well over 300 appearances for the club, and is currently Wales captain too. Given his longevity, it's easy to forget that he's only 31, and still has plenty of years ahead of him.

LB - Ryan Manning

Swansea haven't been as blessed at left-back as they have other positions in recent years, but Ryan Manning would still be a welcome addition to their current side, despite Josh Tymon's impressive first season in SA1.

Manning joined Swansea from QPR in 2020 and spent three seasons at the club, joining Southampton on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, helping Russell Martin's side win promotion to the Premier League.

He actually struggled for regular minutes during his first season in south Wales, playing second fiddle to Jake Bidwell, but he'd go onto make 109 appearances, scoring seven times.

CM - Flynn Downes

Swansea have used the 4-2-3-1 formation under Luke Williams this season, so that's what we'll use here, and Flynn Downes takes one of the two midfield slots.

Downes joined Swansea from Ipswich Town in August 2021, becoming a huge success and earning a move to West Ham the following summer.

A loan move to Southampton followed in the summer of 2023, before signing a permanent deal with Russell Martin's side after helping them win promotion to the Premier League. He made just 39 appearances for Swansea, but he proved an excellent addition.

CM - Matt Grimes

The only current Swansea player to make this XI, skipper Matt Grimes, deserves a slot next to Downes for his performances over the years.

Following their relegation from the Premier League in 2018, Grimes has become Swansea's Mr Reliable, and has barely missed a game.

Most of the good things that the Swans do come through Grimes, and he's become a hugely influential figure during his recent years at the Swansea.com Stadium.

LW - Andre Ayew

He may be 34, but Andre Ayew showed during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons how influential he could be at Championship level.

Ayew joined Swansea from Marseille in 2015, scoring 12 Premier League goals during the 15/16 campaign before earning a move to West Ham in 2016.

He'd later return to Swansea, and after a loan spell with Fenerbahçe he became a standout player in the second tier, scoring 16 and 17 goals during his two seasons in the Championship. He left on a free transfer in 2021 and is now plying his trade for Le Havre in Ligue 1.

CAM - Joel Piroe

Joel Piroe enjoyed a fruitful two-year spell with Swansea, where he became one of the Championship's deadliest finishers after joining from PSV.

Despite playing in a side that finished 15th and 10th, he scored 24 and 20 goals during his two full seasons in south Wales.

He joined Leeds United last summer, and while he's been unable to be quite as prolific in front of goal, he's still an important player for Daniel Farke's side and his finishing abilities are up there with the best players in the division.

RW - Daniel James

Daniel James joined Swansea from Hull City as a 16-year-old, coming through the academy at the club before making his first-team bow in 2018.

James' time as a first-team player was short but sweet, and after an impressive 2018/19 season, he joined Manchester United, where he made an excellent start to life at Old Trafford.

However, he's now at Leeds United, meaning he's the third player in this list to currently ply their trade for Leeds following in the footsteps of Rodon and Piroe.

ST - Oli McBurnie

Striker Oli McBurnie joined Swansea from Bradford City in 2015, initially playing for the club's U21 side, but he became a key player in the first-team following their relegation to the Championship in 2018.

He scored 24 goals during the 2018/19 campaign, earning a move to Sheffield United in the summer of 2019, and after five years at Bramall Lane, he joined La Liga side Las Palmas in 2024.

Given Swansea's goalscoring woes this season, someone like McBurnie would be a very useful player to have at the club now.