Meet the opposition | Morecambe
As Swansea City prepare to host Morecambe in the FA Cup, we take a closer look at the Shrimps.
WHAT'S THEIR STORY?
Morecambe were formed in 1920 following a meeting at the West View Hotel and were entered into the Lancashire Combination League, where they spent the first 48 years of their existance, winning five titles.
The Shrimps were FA Trophy winners in 1974 and reached the Conference in 1995, and went on to reach the Football League for the first time under Sammy McIlroy in 2007.
Promotion to League One was secured via the play-offs in 2021. They spent two seasons in the third tier before being relegated at the end of last term.
HOW'S THEIR FORM?
Morecambe have won just two of their last 11 games in all competitions, with one of those being their FA Cup second-round victory over at Wycombe Wanderers.
However, prior to that they had been on a positive run, winning seven of nine across all competitions.
WHO'S THE GAFFER?
Ged Brennan. The 51-year-old was appointed full-time boss in November having been in caretaker charge after the departure of Derek Adams.
Brennan had joined the Shrimps in September, having previously been under-23s' boss at Accrington Stanley.
A midfielder during his playing days, Brennan played for Tranmere Rovers, Manchester City, Norwich City, Motherwell, Dunfermline Athletic, Rochdale, Accrington Stanley, Radcliffe Borough, Morecambe, Vauxhall Motors and Burscough.
WHO'S THE CAPTAIN?
Defender Donald Love started his career in the youth ranks at Manchester United, making two senior appearances for the Red Devils against Sunderland and Midtjylland.
The Scot had a loan spell with Wigan Athletic before making a full-time switch to Sunderland, where he spent three years, playing for the Black Cats in the Premier League, Championship and League One, although injury heavily curtailed his role in the third of those campaigns.
He went on to have two years at Shrewsbury before a season with Salford prior to his switch to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.
WHO ARE THEY KEY MEN?
On-loan Burnley forward Michael Mellon has been a stand-out performer for the Shrimps so far this season, netting 15 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions.
The Turf Moor academy product is in his second spell on loan with Morecambe, having made eight appearances over the second half of last term.
The Scotland youth international spent time on the books of Manchester United as a youngster, and scored his first senior hat-trick against Wimbledon earlier this season.
Teenage attacking midfielder Adam Mayor has been another bright spark for the visitors, topping their assists chart with six, while also getting on the scoresheet three times.
Mayor had spells with Tranmere Rovers and Preston North End before joining the Shrimps in 2022, making his senior bow in August that year as a substitute in a defeat to MK Dons.
JJ McKiernan is in his first season with Morecambe having joined in the summer from non-league Eastleigh.
He has seven goals and two assists to his name from 27 appearances.
The Southampton-born Northern Ireland Under-21 international has previously had spells with Watford, Andover, Bohemians and then Eastleight before being released by the Hornets in 2023.
He became the first Morecambe player ever to score an away league hat-trick in the EFL, in their 369th such game since joining the top four tiers in 2007, when he netted a treble in a win at Colchester United.