Issue 148

Trundle tells all

06th November 2006

After a tough start to the season, the Swans and Lee Trundle are on the up. Stu Phillips went to investigate.

Compared to the success of last season it's all just gone a bit wrong so far this season for Lee Trundle. The former Wrexham striker has often been kept out of the team by Leon Knight, who was until recently, this season's top scorer.

However with Knight now on the transfer list for "non footballing reasons" and Swansea climbing up the table Trundle is keen to recapture his best form and keep the Swans' revival going.

So after last season's highs, you could be forgiven for thinking Lee Trundle would be disappointed with his relatively poor start, but no, "I'm just really enjoying my football at the moment," he says. The broad smile on his face suggests as much and despite the lack of goals there is still an unmistakeable swagger in his stride. "I'd like to get 20 goals this season, I think that's a good target for a striker," he says. With the talent he possesses it is a realistic one as well assuming he can get himself on to a run of good form.

Trundle is clearly a man still in dreamland from the LDV final where his goal helped Swansea to victory. He has not played anything like his best since that day. "That was definitely my favourite moment in Swansea colours," he says and it is clearly a happy memory, but there is a memory that he feels deprived off. Missing out on promotion last year hurt, hence why Trundle's personal goal is "promotion… without a doubt". For such an extravagant player his number one priority remains the team.

This creates an interesting contrast due to a certain colleague by the name of Leon Knight who, not so long ago was placed on the transfer list because of reasons other than football, supposedly because his attitude wasn't right. Lee Trundle has been in a similar situation before, where he was not pushing himself as hard as he could have and was languishing in lower teams. That is all history now and now he gives his all, whether in training or on match days to Swansea.

He will need to as well, League One is becoming increasingly competitive. " I think Nottingham Forest will be our main challengers to promotion this year. They are looking like a really strong outfit," says the 29 year old. A statement backed up by the fact that they are sitting comfortably at the top of the table, ten points ahead of Swansea. It will be a long hard slog to make promotion a certainty rather than a possibility. Players who work hard like Trundle will always help, but getting back into the scoring habit would also help. With 5 so far this season he could well be on his way back to his best.

Not just a prolific goal scorer but a confirmed fan's favourite. He adores the support he gets from the fans, and apparently a favourite chant of his is "Trundle my Lord, Lee Trundle" sang to the tune of the hymn Kum-Ba-Yah.

However, the fans almost lost their chosen one last season. There was a point it was almost assumed that he was heading for the premiership. There was a lot of high profile interest from various clubs. One of these clubs happened to be Everton, of whom Trundle happens to be a fan. If he had to play for another team it would be Everton. Money is clearly not the main motivational factor in his decisions. It all boils down to the reason he is so popular, he plays with his heart on his sleeve and he has unquestionable loyalty. He is certainly happy here and has committed himself to Swansea for the foreseeable future.

Swansea only have a couple of home games left this term, so you are running out of chances to see Trundle and the soon to depart Leon Knight in action before your Christmas holidays. The next home fixture is on Sunday 26 November against the high flying Bristol City, and is a 1.30 Kick Off at the Liberty Stadium.

Stuart Phillips