The 7 hardest Swansea City players of the last 20 years (Ranked) | OneFootball

Highlights

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Swansea City have competed across all four of the primary divisions of English football over the last 20 years.

The club has gone from the brink of collapse to winning major silverware at Wembley Stadium during this period.

Players of all different types of backgrounds and styles have come through the south Wales club and left a mark.

Managers such as Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers, Steve Cooper and Graham Potter have all shaped the squad in some way before going on to even bigger things elsewhere.

Football legend Michael Laudrup led the team to a League Cup triumph in 2013, with Swansea also achieving eighth, ninth and 10th place finishes during their time in the top flight.

The current team will be aiming to compete for a place back in the Premier League in the near future after a recent 10th place result in the Championship.

The departure of the likes of Russell Martin and Joel Piroe has come as a blow to the club, but that won’t stop fans from hoping that a promotion charge is just around the corner.

Putting a pin on the here-and-now, though, FLW’s Swansea City fan pundit James Millar has ranked the toughest players to put on the white shirt over the last 20 years.

7 Kevin Austin

Austin signed for Swansea in 2004, joining the club from Bristol Rovers.

The defender made over 100 appearances for the Swans during his four years in south Wales.

Austin went on to sign for the likes of Chesterfield and Darlington before ending his career with Boston United in 2012.

The now 45-year-old played a part in helping the team gain promotion to League One and the Championship during his time in Swansea.

He is still remembered fondly by supporters for his performances in the side, standing out for being one of the toughest operators on the pitch for the club.

6 Jay Fulton

Fulton came to the club in 2014 from Scottish side Falkirk, going on to make nearly 200 appearances for Swansea.

The Scot is now in the middle of his ninth season with the club, albeit he did go out on loan to Wigan Athletic in 2018.

The midfielder struggled to get into the team at first, but cemented himself as a regular presence in the team following Swansea’s relegation to the Championship.

He played an important role in the team as they earned consecutive play-off finishes, reaching the final at Wembley under Cooper.

Fulton fell down the pecking order upon Martin’s arrival as manager, before re-emerging as a key part of Michael Duff’s side.

5 Ferrie Bodde

Bodde signed for Swansea from Dutch side ADO Den Haag in 2007, with the club still competing in League One at the time.

Bodde was an important part of establishing the team in the Championship over his five years in south Wales.

The now 41-year-old featured 33 times as Swansea gained promotion to the second division, falling down the pecking order in the years that followed.

The Dutchman did not play for the club during their time in the Premier League, departing Swansea after their first campaign in the top flight.

That proved to be the end of his playing career, as he retired in 2012 after his time in English football came to an end.

4 Alan Tate

Tate came through the ranks of the Manchester United youth academy, spending two stints on loan at Swansea before joining the club on a permanent basis.

The defender first signed for the club during the 2002-03 campaign on a temporary basis, before returning for a second loan in 2003.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2004 that he eventually joined the Swans on a permanent basis, where he remained for the next 11 years of his career.

The now 41-year-old made over 250 appearances for the club following his move away from Old Trafford.

He played in all four divisions for Swansea, albeit his influence on the side waned as they climbed the English football pyramid.

Tate enjoyed loan spells at Leeds United, Yeovil Town, Aberdeen and Crewe Alexandra during his time with Swansea, before departing permanently for Port Talbot Town in 2015.

Tate spent one season with the club before retiring in 2016.

3 Wilfried Bony

The Ivorian enjoyed two different stints at Swansea, initially joining the club in 2013 from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem.

Bony impressed with his performances during his 18 months with the Welsh side, scoring 25 goals from 54 appearances.

He played a key role in the team earning 12th and eighth place finishes in the Premier League, before signing for Manchester City in the 2015 January transfer window.

Bony made his return to Swansea after just 18 months at City, signing for Swansea again in 2017.

But he was unable to match the same level of performance and could not prevent the club from suffering relegation to the Championship.

2 Ashley Williams

Williams was a big leadership figure at Swansea during their rise to the Premier League, joining the club in 2008 from Stockport County.

The defender was a domineering presence at the back, proving skilled with the ball at his feet and a tough player to duel with both on the pitch and in the air.

Williams made over 300 appearances for Swansea between 2008 and 2016, captaining the side as they won the 2013 League Cup final against Bradford City.

But the Welsh international departed before the club suffered the drop, signing for Everton in 2019.

The now 39-year-old ended his career with Bristol City, retiring in 2020.

1 Adebayo Akinfenwa

Akinfenwa has earned a reputation as one of English football’s toughest ever players.

His remarkable size and stature made him stand out on the pitch, and he put those attributes to good use to carve out an excellent career.

Akinfenwa made his breakthrough into English football in 2003, signing for Leyton Orient.

The now 41-year-old made his way to Swansea in 2005, spending two years with the Welsh outfit.

Akinfenwa went on to play for the likes of Millwall, Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon, among others, as he moved around clubs every couple of years.