Swansea City top-flight Jacks Bob Latchford

Continuing our new website feature, we focus on players who featured for Swansea City during the club's previous foray into the top flight of English football.
And with Everton visiting the Liberty this Saturday, we put former striker Bob Latchford under the spotlight.

BOB LATCHFORD
Date of birth: January 18, 1951
Appearances/goals for the Swans: 87 Appearances; 35 goals.
Former clubs: Birmingham City (1968-1974); Everton (1974-1981); Swansea City (1981-1984); NAC Breda (Holland) (1984); Coventry City (1984-1985); Lincoln City (1985-1986); Newport County (1986), Merthyr Tydfil (1986).
Did you know? In February 2001, he was presented with the Dixie Dean Memorial Award at the Echo Sports Arena in Liverpool for his footballing contribution on Merseyside.
Memorable moment: Scoring a hat-trick against Leeds United in the first ever Swans game in the top flight in August 1981.

When the Swans finally won promotion to the old First Division, manager John Toshack realised the need to strengthen his front line options.
And to this end he persuaded Everton to part with England centre forward Bob Latchford for a hefty £125,000 transfer fee on the eve of the opening day of the new season.
Latchford, a six-foot burly striker, had a particularly good touch on the ball for such a big man. He was an England youth International as a schoolboy and joined his hometown club Birmingham City in 1968, where he joined his two older brothers on the club's books.
It was at Birmingham where Latchford made his mark in professional football, scoring 68 goals in 154 appearances, alerting numerous of the country's big clubs to his potential.
In 1974, Everton won the race for his signature, paying Birmingham £350,000 for his services. It was during his time with the Toffees that Latchford won the first of his 12 full England caps, to go with the Under-23 caps he gained earlier in his career.
His time on Merseyside was a great success and, prior to his switch to the Vetch Field in 1981, Latchford found the back of the net over 100 times for the club, achieving legendary status along the way.
Those fans who packed the Vetch Field in August 1981 to witness the club's first ever match in the top-flight against Leeds United saw a game that has gone down in Swansea folklore.
With the sides coming out for the second-half all square at 1-1, it was time for Latchford to take centre stage. After 45 seconds the Birmingham-born centre forward scored to restore the home side's lead before completing his hat-trick within the next ten minutes to crush big-spending Leeds and claim Swansea's first win in the top tier.
Latchford went on to play a key role in the club's opening season in the First Division, scoring 12 league goals as the Swans finished sixth in the league and won the Welsh Cup.
But even though he scored another 15 the following season, the financial implications at the club meant the team was dismantled, with Latchford himself moving abroad to NAC Breda in Holland in February 1984.
The move marked the beginning of the end of Latchford's time in professional football. After stints with Coventry, Lincoln and Newport County, he finished his playing career with Merthyr Tydfil in 1986, where he won his third Welsh Cup winners medal before concentrating on his business interests.
Latchford's final spell in football saw him work as the Football in the Community officer at his former club Birmingham City before moving to Germany to start a new life on the continent in 2002.
On Saturday, Latchford will be the hospitality guest speaker for the Swans' game with Everton at the Liberty.