Lee Trundle opens up on Bristol City, Swansea City controversy

Lee Trundle opens up on Bristol City, Swansea City controversy

Former Football League striker Lee Trundle has exclusively spoken to Football League World about his controversial move from Swansea City to Bristol City.

Remarkably, aged 47, Trundle is still playing in the second tier of Welsh football with Trefelin BGC, while according to TransferMarkt, the forward scored 92 goals and created 29 assists for Swansea, having represented the Swans from 2003-2007, before returning on loan in 2009.

The former Wrexham man’s first spell with the Swans ended in a controversial move across the Severn estuary to Ashton Gate, when he signed for Bristol City in August 2007.

As reported by BBC Sport at the time, the South Wales outfit did not want Trundle to leave, but he joined the Robins in order to ply his trade in the Championship, as the Swans were in League One at the time.

The same report also revealed that then club chairman Huw Jenkins was sad to see the striker’s departure: “We’ve tried everything possible to keep Lee and spoke about a wage increase, but it was never about money.

“What we couldn’t offer was Championship football.

“It’s a sad day for the club, he’s been fantastic for us.”

Former Swans boss Roberto Martinez, who had previously played alongside Trundle, added: “Trundle has been a fantastic servant to Swansea and he knows how much we think of him.”

The Liverpudlian revealed: “It was a difficult decision.

“4 years and over 140 appearances, I had an excellent time at Swansea and felt at home.

“The environment was good for me, so this helped on the pitch, but the opportunity came, and then it was time to move on.

“Swansea always had a place in my heart, and it was good to go back for a second time.

“The special relationship with the club and fans is evident, so it was a no-brainer to be able to go back and play at Swansea.”

While crossing the Severn from South Wales to the West Country was controversial, and returning to the Swans from the Robins made Trundle’s career pathway all the more unique, the reasons for both of these moves are understandable.

Trundle is a Swansea legend, who won the Football League Trophy with the Swans in 2006, and scored during the final against Carlisle United, which ironically took place in the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

The striker’s goalscoring record for the Swans speaks for itself, but he did not enjoy the same sort of success at Ashton Gate, as he managed just eight goals in 62 appearances for the West Country side, a return which would have been disappointing for the Robins, who had paid a handsome fee of £1m for his services.

Trundle was also unable to establish his previous clinical form during his Swans return too, as he scored just five goals in 20 outings, which was incomparable to his previous exploits in South Wales, where he had scored 86 goals in 178 games in all competitions, exceeding the 20-goal mark in all his four seasons at the club.