What Michu first said when he signed for Swansea City - He'll always be a Swans cult hero | OneFootball

Football League World looks back at Michu's first words after joining Swansea City in the summer of 2012

Spanish forward Michu remains very much a modern-day legend at Swansea City, with his blistering impact in the 2012/13 Premier League campaign still fondly remembered far outside just south Wales.

Ahead of their second season in the Premier League, Swansea sealed the signing of Michu from LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano for just £2 million.

Then under the management of popular boss Michael Laudrup, Swansea managed to beat off reported competition from the likes of Sevilla along with a number of domestic rivals including Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Southampton, Stoke City, Wigan Athletic and West Bromwich Albion.

The rest, as they say, is history. Michu’s impact was as brief as it was memorable, and while his goal-getting days at Swansea were cut short through little fault of his own, his legacy lives on to this day in the hearts and minds of the Jack Army faithful.

But what did Michu say upon signing for the Swans? Football League World takes a look through the archives…

What Michu said after signing for Swansea City

The Spaniard, who was signed as a midfielder but ended up leading the line with great aplomb, admitted that he was encouraged by Laudrup’s style of play.

At the time, Swansea were affectionately dubbed ‘Swansalona’ for their renowned, riveting brand of possession-based football, which was first inspired by Roberto Martinez and was later continued by his successors in Brendan Rodgers and Laudrup.

Upon signing for Swansea, Michu said: “I really wanted to come to Swansea because of the coach, the style of play and the Premier League. I had other offers.

“I’ve always followed the Premier League from Spain and so I watched a lot of Swansea games last season. They played good football and I liked their style.

“I also know how Michael Laudrup’s teams play, so I’m looking forward to being part of that.

“The coach was fundamental to me joining Swansea. I remember watching him as a player - he was a machine.”

Michu's Swansea City career

Michu is commonly dubbed a “one-season wonder” or, somewhat more generously, a staple of the “streets won’t forget” genre. Swansea will never forget Michu, but, to the Jack Army, he is so much more than that.

Two goals and an assist in a 5-0 demolition of QPR on debut set the tone for Michu’s opening campaign at Swansea, where he plundered home 22 strikes appearances across all competitions.

His haul of three goals from six matches in the League Cup, meanwhile, helped Swansea to their first-ever piece of major silverware as they went all the way to defeat Bradford City in the final at Wembley.

That, of course, ensured European football for the following campaign, but Michu wasn’t part of the next chapter. The talented forward endured bitter luck with injuries and was limited to just 17 top-flight appearances, while he did not feature once in Swans’ UEFA Europa League campaign.

A loan move to Serie A outfit Napoli followed in the 2015/16 term, but by then, Michu’s star had waned. Once again, ankle injuries reared an ugly head as he played only three times out in Italy, and his Swansea contract was terminated in November 2015.

Michu’s sudden decline was marked by a swift move back to Spain with fourth-tier outfit UP Langreo. For a brief period, the one-cap former Spanish international rediscovered his goalscoring touch and played regular football once more, but a switch to boyhood club Real Oviedo didn’t work out and Michu retired aged just 31 in 2017.