In the spotlight | Sammy Wynne

From working behind the camera at Fairwood Training Ground and the Swansea.com Stadium to pulling on the shirt herself, Swansea City plays a significant role in almost every part of Sammy Wynne’s life.

By day, she spends her time producing and editing content for the club's media team, before swapping the camera for her boots and heading to the Joma High Performance Centre for training three evenings a week.

And Wynne’s commitment to the club extends far beyond her work off the pitch, with the midfielder recently appointed club captain by head coach Yzzy Taylor ahead of the new Genero Adran Premier campaign.

Taylor believes Wynne embodies the standards, behaviours and values she wants players throughout the Swans’ pathway to aspire to.

Having developed as a leader within the group over recent seasons, Wynne is looking forward to taking on the added responsibility of her new role.

“It’s been a real privilege to be handed the role, and I was really surprised when Yzzy gave it to me. It’s really nice to be recognised.

“This is my fourth season here and, over the last 12 to 18 months, I feel like I’ve really developed off the pitch and within the group.

“I might not be the loudest player, but I think I can lead by giving my best all the time and setting that example. We do have quite a young group now as well.

“At 24, I’m almost middle-aged,” she joked. “But it’s nice to have that responsibility and hopefully I can use my experience to help the group.”

Away from her own commitments on the pitch, Wynne’s connection with Swansea City also extends into her professional career.

Wynne had a memorable first week in her new videographer role back in February. Not only did she cover two matchdays within a matter of days, but she also played a part in the club's media coverage when part owner Snoop Dogg visited Swansea - an experience she describes as an early career highlight.

"To work as a videographer for the men's first team is truly a dream job. My mum always used to ask me what I wanted to do when I was older, and I just wanted to work for the Swans, work at the stadium and be paid to watch football. That's exactly what I'm doing now, and to do it for the team you support is amazing.

"It was a crazy first week. I started on the Thursday, had a game on the Saturday, and then Snoop arrived on the Monday. To be thrown in at the deep end is always a good thing, and it's definitely been one of the highlights so far."

Wynne's footballing journey began at a young age, first playing alongside boys before earning the chance to represent her childhood club at academy level, which she describes as a dream come true.

"I started playing with the boys when I was six or seven at Dunvant & Three Crosses. My family were massive football fans, and I'd always be playing with my brother and cousins in the back garden. I just loved football.

"I played with the boys until I was about 12 and then, when I was 13 or 14, Swansea formed a girls' team. We'd train every week and play games every few weeks.

"Training at Landore back then was amazing. Getting to wear the Swansea kit and represent the club I supported was something I absolutely loved."

Her development with the Swans eventually opened the door to an opportunity with Women's Super League side Bristol City, where Wynne would make significant sacrifices to further her footballing career.

"I had the opportunity to trial at Bristol City, and the standard there was much higher than what I was used to at Swansea at the time. They had a proper academy set-up, a full fixture schedule and trained three times a week, so thankfully I managed to get through the trial.

"It was a big commitment at first, travelling up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while games on Sundays could be anywhere in England. I remember being really excited about it though.

"I spent three years travelling back and forth while I was still in school, but once I finished my GCSEs I moved to Bristol for college. I stayed with a host family from Monday to Friday before coming home for a day and then travelling again for games on Sunday.

"Moving away at 16 was quite tough at first and I definitely felt homesick. My host family were amazing, but naturally I missed home. At the same time, it taught me how to look after myself. I had to get myself to and from training, ride my bike everywhere and balance all of that with my A-levels, which was a big step up in workload."

While her time away from home presented plenty of challenges, it also gave Wynne the opportunity to develop alongside some outstanding young players, including future England international Lauren Hemp.

"I got to play with some great players at Bristol. One that really stands out is Grace Riglar, who now plays for Norwich City, and there were a lot of girls in the squad who now play in Tier Three in England.

"Lauren Hemp was a year or two older than me, but she would be around training every now and then. She's probably one of the best players I've had the chance to play alongside."

Another move followed when Wynne completed her A-levels, as she headed to London to begin university. Alongside her studies, she joined Oxford United, where she continued her football development and was given her first real opportunity to work in sports media.

"Once I finished my A-levels, I moved to London to start university and, while I was there, I played for Oxford United. It was a move that really suited me, and I found the club incredibly welcoming. It reminded me a lot of Swansea in that it had that family feel.

"I started with the development side and, towards the end of my degree, I began breaking into the first-team squad and getting some minutes. I felt I developed a lot as a player during my time there.

"I also got in touch with the Head of Media at Oxford and we came up with a plan because I was already travelling to the training ground in the evenings. I'd go up for the whole day and get involved in everything, whether that was writing, filming or interviewing. I absolutely loved it, and that's when I realised it was what I wanted to do."

Wynne's leadership qualities were also recognised during her time with the club, as she captained the development side in the latter stages of her spell.

"I got to captain the development team towards the end of my time there, and I felt I was showing much more of a leadership role.

"I'm probably a little different to the typical captain. I'm not the loudest person, but I'd like to think I lead by example. The girls were brilliant and always showed me a lot of respect."

Once university came to an end, Wynne returned home permanently for the first time in five years. While her initial plan was to focus solely on football, the perfect opportunity soon presented itself when a role became available with the Swansea City Foundation.

"Once I finished university, I came back home to Swansea. I remember getting a text from the coach at the time about the opportunity to return, which was something I hadn't really thought about because I'd planned on staying at Oxford.

"I came home that summer, started training again, and it just felt like home because, well, it is home."

Initially intending to take a year to concentrate on her football, Wynne's plans changed when she was offered the chance to begin her career with the club off the pitch as well.

"I'd decided I was going to focus on football for a year after university and almost have a bit of a gap year, but then a Media and Marketing role became available at the Swansea City Foundation.

"It was the perfect opportunity because it meant I could start working for the club while also continuing to play. It was the best of both worlds."

After spending years away from the club, Wynne admitted the women’s programme was actually much better than what she may have perceived, and highlighted the opportunity to play in the Swansea.Com Stadium was an incredible experience, in front of nearly 4000 spectators who were watching like she did as a fan

“I think my preconception of the women’s set-up at Swansea was probably lower than it should have been, but as soon as I walked through the door I realised how far it had come in terms of professionalism.

“My first game at the Swansea.com Stadium was against Wrexham and there were nearly 4,000 people there. I was so excited when they told us we were going to be playing at the stadium.

“It was strange because I’d always said that was the dream. My season ticket was in the South Stand, Row F, and when you’re sitting in that seat as a youngster watching Premier League football, you dream about playing out there yourself.

“I was probably naive at the time because, although it was a dream, I never really thought it would actually be possible. So, for it to then happen was really special.”

It was another positive campaign for the Swans last season, with a top-four finish in the Genero Adran Premier and a place in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final. However, Wynne believes the squad are capable of taking the next step under the guidance of head coach Yzzy Taylor and challenging for silverware once again.

“This club has a history of winning trophies, and I think last season was one of progression.

“We’ve got to build on that, but our aim should always be to compete for and win silverware. Hopefully, under Yzzy this season, we can take that next step and achieve that.”