Top 25 Players - Lee Trundle

The most recent Swansea player to appear in the countdown, current striker Lee Trundle was a late entrant into league football.

He played for several non-league teams including Stalybridge Celtic (scoring 6 goals in 5 games) & Southport (scoring 4 goals in 26 games) before joining Welsh Premier League club Rhyl in 2000. At Rhyl he found his goalscoring touch, scoring 18 goals in just 22 appearances. This form persuaded ex-Swansea manager Brian Flynn to pay £60,000 to take him to Wrexham`s Racecourse Stadium. He had no problem with the step-up to league football, playing 78 games (plus a further 24 as substitute) over two years and netting 30 goals in all competitions.

In the summer of 2003, Trundle linked up again with Brian Flynn, who had since left Wrexham for Swansea City, signing on a free transfer on the expiry of his Wrexham contract. A number of clubs expressed interest in Lee, including Tranmere, Port Vale and Coventry City, before he opted for South Wales. He instantly became a fans favourite at the Vetch, topping the early Division Three goalscoring charts & entertaining the crowd with some outrageous skills. The most memorable coming in a league game against Huddersfield, when he controlled the ball with his chest, rolled the ball around his neck before sending the ball upfield. These skills helped to make him a national 'celebrity` & earnt him a regular place on Soccer AM`s Showboat.

In all he has scored 66 goals in 122 Swansea appearances, a record better than a goal every other game.

In October 2005, Sheffield Wednesday bid £750,000 for his services, the largest bid the club had ever received for a player, but this was rejected by the club proving how highly he is regarded by the Swansea board. Soon after he became the first player from outside the Premiership to sign a Image Rights deal, earning him a share of the profits from merchandise sold with his name on.

Trundle was part of the Swansea team which won the LDV Trophy final 2-1 against Carlisle United during the 05/06 season, scoring a sensational volley to put the Swans one up. During the celebrations, he and Alan Tate held a Welsh flag bearing the words "F*** Off Cardiff", and Trundle was also pictured in a T-shirt depicting a Swansea player urinating on a Cardiff City shirt. Both players received fines & bans from the FAW, and were given a police caution.

This season he has failed to hit top form, coming under heavy critism from some fans for his performances, but has still netted 13 league goals this season.

Trivia:

In April 2003, having missed Wrexham's match against Cambridge United, Trundle was named by a Sunday newspaper in association with allegations of rape, harassment, false imprisonment and threats to kill. Within two weeks, all allegations were withdrawn. The player's solicitor alleged that the complainant had, in fact, been stalking him and that the police had received details of her unwanted attentions. No charges were brought.

Links to the Top 25 Players:

25 - Chris Coleman
24 - John Conforth
23 - Dean Saunders

By Murton_Jack

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