Club Connections | Wrexham
As Swansea City prepare to face Wrexham on Saturday night, we look back at some of the players who have represented both clubs over the years.
Steve Watkin
Steve Watkin was a hometown hero at Wrexham, spending 11 years with the club after coming through the academy and scoring 80 goals in 266 appearances.
Watkin turned professional in 1989 and enjoyed one of the standout moments of his Wrexham career in the 1991-92 FA Cup, scoring the winning goal as the Red Dragons famously defeated Arsenal. He also helped the club win promotion in 1992-93 and lift the Welsh Cup in 1994.
In September 1997, Watkin made the move to Swansea City for a fee of around £105,000, bringing his goalscoring experience to the Vetch Field. He quickly became an important figure and was Swansea's leading scorer as they reached the Third Division play-offs in 1998-99.
Watkin then played a prominent role in the Swans' 1999-2000 Third Division title triumph, finishing his Swansea career with 44 goals in 206 league appearances before departing for Caernarfon Town in December 2003.
Neil Taylor
Neil Taylor made the short journey from Wrexham to Swansea in 2010, beginning a seven-year spell with the Swans after developing through the Red Dragons’ academy.
Taylor joined Wrexham as a teenager after leaving Manchester City and made his professional debut in 2007. He went on to make 75 appearances for the club before earning his move to Swansea.
His first season in SA1 ended with promotion to the Premier League, although Taylor missed the play-off final after being sent off in the semi-final first leg. A broken ankle would later cruelly rule him out of the 2013 League Cup final.
In total, Taylor made 179 appearances for Swansea, featuring in the Championship, Premier League and Europa League, while also representing Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics and Wales at Euro 2016.
Dai Davies
Dai Davies is another player to have represented both clubs, with the Welsh international goalkeeper enjoying two hugely successful spells at Swansea either side of a memorable four-year stay with Wrexham.
Born in Ammanford, Davies began his footballing journey locally before earning an opportunity with Swansea Town. After initially playing a supporting role behind Tony Millington, an injury to the first-choice goalkeeper gave Davies his chance - and he quickly showed that he was ready to take it.
Davies eventually moved to Everton before returning to the Vetch Field on loan and later making the permanent switch to Wrexham in 1977. His time in north Wales proved particularly fruitful, as he helped the Red Dragons win the Third Division title and Welsh Cup, while also featuring in European competition.
Four years and 199 appearances later, Davies returned to Swansea for a third spell, this time as the club competed in the First Division. He spent two seasons with the Swans, making 113 appearances in total across his Swansea career, and added two more Welsh Cup winners’ medals before leaving in 1983.
Dennis Lawrence
Standing at 6ft 7in, Dennis Lawrence was impossible to miss — and the towering Trinidad and Tobago international became an imposing presence for Wrexham and Swansea City.
Lawrence arrived at the Racecourse Ground in 2000 from his homeland and quickly established himself as a key member of the Red Dragons’ defence. Over six years in North Wales, he made 219 appearances and scored 19 goals, while also making history by representing Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
His performances for Wrexham earned him a move along the A483 to Swansea in August 2006, with the Swans bringing the centre-back in as cover for the injured Garry Monk. Lawrence made an immediate impression, producing a man-of-the-match display on his debut in a 2-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers.
He went on to become a regular at the heart of the Swansea defence and played an important role in the club’s League One title-winning campaign in 2007-08. Lawrence spent three seasons with the Swans, making 93 appearances and scoring seven goals, before eventually returning to Trinidad and Tobago.
Lee Trundle
Then there’s the magic man himself, Lee Trundle, who became a firm favourite with supporters at both Wrexham and Swansea City.
Trundle’s professional career took off at Wrexham after his performances in non-league football earned him a move to the Racecourse Ground in 2001. He spent two seasons with the Red Dragons, scoring 34 goals and helping the club lift the FAW Premier Cup on two occasions.
His form in north Wales attracted plenty of attention, and in 2003 he made the move to Swansea. It was at the Vetch Field where Trundle truly established himself as one of the most recognisable players of his generation, combining his goalscoring ability with the skill and flair that made him such a popular figure.
Across four seasons in SA1, Trundle found the net 78 times in 146 appearances before departing in 2007. He won the Football League Trophy and two further FAW Premier Cup medals during his time with the Swans before re-joining on loan in 2009.