Swansea City will be thankful Plymouth Argyle deal never materialised on Leeds United evidence | OneFootball

Jay Fulton had his best performance of the season against Leeds United, just two months after nearly joining Plymouth Argyle

Swansea City came away from Elland Road with a well-deserved point after a 2-2 draw with Leeds United on Saturday, and a number of Alan Sheehan's squad came away with their reputations enhanced.

To get a point at one of the division's heavyweights meant that nearly every Swansea player would have to be at their best, and that was the case with the likes of Lawrence Vigouroux, Harry Darling, Ben Cabango, Lewis O'Brien and Zan Vipotnik impressing for the visitors.

However, Swansea's longest-serving player, Jay Fulton, had unquestionably his best performance of the season at Elland Road, and it served as a timely reminder that he could play an important role during the final weeks of the season.

Fulton hasn't been at his best this season and was linked with a late January move to Championship basement boys Plymouth Argyle but the Jack Army should be relieved that he stayed put after his showing against Leeds.

Swansea City will be thankful that Jay Fulton, Plymouth Argyle move didn't happen

Fulton is Swansea's longest-serving player, having joined the club as a youngster in January 2014, and since their relegation to the Championship in 2018 he's been a regular feature under every manager.

However, this season has proved a difficult one for the Scottish midfielder, starting just nine Championship fixtures, and Saturday's trip to Elland Road was the first time he'd started since the beginning of February.

The 31-year-old has received plenty of criticism from the Jack Army this season, and it looked as if his time at the club was coming to an end when he was the subject of late January loan interest from Plymouth Argyle.

However, with Swansea lacking depth in general and even more so following Matt Grimes' departure, Fulton was kept at the club and while he's had to bide his time this season, he was back to his best at Leeds.

The ex-Falkirk man rolled back the years with no player on either side making more interceptions or tackles than Fulton's combined tally of seven, and he earned plenty of plaudits after the game for his impressive 82-minute performance.

It's fair to say that Swansea aren't quite out of trouble when it comes to relegation, so loaning Fulton, one of their most experienced players, to a fellow Championship side would have been a risk, particularly to a side battling relegation.

Fulton has shown in previous seasons, particularly during the 2020/21 campaign when Swansea reached the play-off final and the 2022/23 campaign under Russell Martin, where he played regularly after falling out of favour the previous season, that he can be a real asset to Championship sides on his day, and Saturday was a reminder of that.

With just a month of the campaign remaining and games set to come thick and fast, you can expect Fulton to be handed a starting berth on a more regular basis under Alan Sheehan, and if he replicates his Leeds performance in the weeks to come, he might just have a future at the club.

It's an important summer for Jay Fulton

Fulton has spent nearly all of his entire senior career at Swansea, but he's out of contract in the summer of 2026, so it remains to be seen what the future holds for him in South Wales.

He's certainly not been first choice this season, so he may look to move elsewhere in search of regular football as he approaches the final years of his career at 31.

Swansea may also be tempted to move him on if the right offer comes in this summer, with the chance to sell him for a fee surely more appealing than losing him for free 12 months later.

However, if Fulton continues the form he showed at Elland Road for the remaining weeks of the season, he could well have a future at Championship level, whether that be at Swansea or elsewhere.

With 233 Championship appearances under his belt, Fulton would surely be an attractive signing for a number of clubs in the division, and you can certainly see why Plymouth were reportedly keen to add him to their ranks in January.

However, for now, Swansea will just be glad that they kept him in January after his recent exploits, and the Scotsman will be looking to end the season on a high after what's been a difficult campaign on a personal level.