TOP-FLIGHT JACKS: Alan Curtis

In 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.
Here, we put the spotlight on the man known simply as 'legend'.

ALAN CURTIS
Date of birth: April 16, 1954
Appearances/goals for the Swans: 438 apps; 123 goals.
Former clubs: Swansea City (1972-1979, 1980-1983, 1989-1990), Leeds United (1979-1980), Southampton (1983-1986), Stoke City (loan - 1986), Cardiff City (1986-1989), Barry Town (1990-1992, 1994).
Memorable moment: That stunning strike to round off a 5-1 victory over Leeds United in the club's first game in the top flight. The perfect debut for club and player.
Did you know? Curtis' 32 goals during the 1977-1978 season saw him fall just three goals short of the record amount of goals scored in a single season by a Swan. That record belongs to Cyril Pearce when he scored 35 in 1931-1932.

Alan Curtis' career at Swansea City began in 1972, at a time when gates at the Vetch Field were falling and the Swans were struggling both on and off the pitch.
It was after some promising performances for Swansea's Combination side that Curtis was handed his league debut against Southend United by manager Roy Bentley in August 1972.
During his early years with the club, Curtis was predominantly deployed as a winger in the third and fourth tiers of English football, where the silky skills of many a young player would be tested by the most robust of defenders.
Curtis represented Wales at youth, Under-21 and Under-23 level during his early years, before making his senior debut against England in March 1976.
But it was under the management of Harry Griffiths in 1974 when the Swansea legend's career really took off. Griffiths' knowledge of the beautiful game enabled him to recognise Curtis' strengths in close control and ability to ghost past opponents. The Swansea boss felt Curtis would be better served playing as an out-and-out striker, which proved a master stroke as the Rhondda-born attacker found the back of the net on a regular basis.
His goals helped the Swans rise from the basement division, culminating with his best ever season in 1977-1978 when he scored an incredible 34 goals, alerting some of the country's top clubs to his fantastic potential.
It was with great reluctance that the club eventually sold their star to First Division outfit Leeds United for a club record fee of £400,000 in 1979. But though he went on to score on his debut for the Yorkshire-based side, a knee ligament injury early on in his Leeds career would keep him sidelined for an extensive period. Upon his return to fitness, Curtis struggled to regain his place in the first-team on a consistent basis.
When the opportunity to rejoin the Swans in 1980 arose, just a year on from leaving the club, Curtis jumped at the chance to return in a deal worth £175,000. Having won promotion to the First Division, Curtis' second debut for the Swans happened to be an opening-day game against Leeds United at a sun-drenched Vetch Field. The Swans secured a stunning 5-1 victory, with Curtis scoring a sensational goal against his former club.
After a fantastic first season in the top flight, in which Curtis helped the Swans finish in an impressive sixth position in the league table, Swansea's second season in the First Division proved far less fruitful. The club were relegated and Curtis was on the move again - firstly to Southampton then back home to Wales to Cardiff City via a brief stay at Stoke City.
It was at Ninian Park where Curtis won his third Welsh Cup winners' medal in 1988, to go along with the two he gained during his time with the Swans. In his second season with Cardiff, he also won promotion to the Third Division.
But after just two seasons, Curtis was on his way back to the Vetch Field, where his professional career ended in 1990 after making over 400 appearances for the Swans.
A couple of seasons in the Welsh League, where he earned another Welsh Cup winners' medal with Barry Town in 1994, followed before Curtis finally hung up his boots in 1995.
Upon his retirement, Curtis returned to Swansea City to become the club's football in the community officer. The past 15 years have seen Curtis take on roles within the club, such as youth team manager, assistant manager and head of youth development. Currently, Curtis works alongside manager Garry Monk as the club's first-team coach.