By James Dow

Ahead of today’s Nathaniel MG Cup third round tie at the Ogi Bridge Meadow, we’ve taken a closer look at Swansea City under-21s with Meet the Opposition!

History

Swansea City’s academy has produced some fantastic footballers in recent years, with Welsh internationals Joe Allen, Joe Rodon, Dan James and Connor Roberts all coming through the Swans academy setup. The club have had some great success since joining the Professional Development League during it’s inaugural season. Swansea won their first piece of silverware in 2015 after a 3-2 victory over Huddersfield Town to win the Professional Development League 2. The club then announced that both their under-18 and under-21 sides would compete in the Professional Development League 1 the following season.

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The under-21s had a memorable 2016-17 campaign, where they would go on to win the double after winning the Professional Development League Division 2 to gain promotion to the top division, while also winning the Premier League Cup after a 2-0 victory over Reading. The Swans did downgrade to a Category 2 academy in 2020 due to financial reasons, but do plan to return to Category One in the near future.

Form

The young Swans remain unbeaten in their three Professional Development League matches this season, with three wins. They opened with a 3-2 victory over Crewe Alexandra, followed by an emphatic 6-0 win against Huddersfield Town, before edging Coventry City 1-0 before the international break. Swansea now visit the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium in the third round of the Nathaniel MG Cup, after defeating Carmarthen Town 4-1 in the first round at the LHP Stadium, and claiming a 5-0 victory over Afan Lido to book their place in the third round against the Bluebirds.

 

Manager

Anthony Wright has been part of the Swans Academy coaching setup for 13 years. The 46-year-old enjoyed a long playing career, spending four years with EFL side Oxford United and had a season at Merthyr Town, while also representing Welsh League clubs including Llanelli Town, Port Talbot Town, Cwmbran Town, Carmarthen Town and Ammanford, before finishing his career at West End.

During his playing career, Wright began coaching as lead coach at Gower College, while also working with the Welsh Schools and Colleges under-18 and under-19 sides as part of the staff. Since joining the Swans in 2013, Wright has managed both the under-18s and under-21s, while also serving as head of the Professional Phase at the club. Alongside his work at the Swans, Wright also is part of Andy Dyer’s coaching staff at JD Cymru Premier side Briton Ferry Llansawel.

Captain

Daniel Watts signed his first professional contract with the Swans in 2023, securing his future in SA1 until the end of this season. The 19-year-old has been part of the Swans setup since the age of nine, progressing through the ranks. Watts, who can play at full-back or in central midfield, scored during the 5-0 victory against Afan Lido in the previous round of the Nathaniel MG Cup with what was his first goal of the season. He has also represented Cymru at age-grade level, making his under-21 debut in March during a 1-0 friendly win against Andorra.

Key player

Thomas Woodward has been firing in the goals for the young Swans throughout the last couple of seasons. The attacking midfielder has been with the club since under-nine level, and signed his first professional contract in January of this year, which saw the midfielder secure his future until the summer of 2026, with the option to extend for a further year. Woodward had a prolific 2023-24 season, where he scored 30 goals in all competitions across all age groups, while also being a pivotal part of the under-18s side that reached the Professional Development Cup final with the Swans, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Millwall under-18s in extra time.

The 19-year-old has found the scoresheet once so far this season, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Coventry City in the Swans’ most recent game before the international break. Woodward has also represented Cymru at youth level, making four appearance and scoring two goals, which included one in a 3-0 debut victory over Azerbaijan in September 2024, while also scoring in his most recent Cymru appearance in a 3-2 defeat to Czechia back in February.

They wore both shirts

Full-back Jazz Richards joined the Bluebirds in 2021, in what was regarded as one of the highest-profile JD Cymru Premier signings in recent years. The 34-year-old began his professional career with the Swans, having previously played youth football for their rivals, Cardiff City. He broke into the Swans first team during the 2009-10 season, making his senior debut in a 3-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough. Richards went on to make 51 appearances in all competitions for the Swans, including 18 in the Premier League.

The right-back had two loan spells during his time with Swansea, joining Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town and Fulham, before joining the latter on a permanent deal in 2015. Richards spent two seasons in west London, making 40 appearances for the Cottagers, registering three assists in that time. He then returned to Wales in 2016, joining Cardiff City, becoming the first player in years to play for both Swansea City and Cardiff City in recent history. Richards made 57 appearances across all competitions for the Bluebirds, and was part of the Cardiff side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2018. Richards spent four seasons in the capital, before being released after City’s relegation from the Premier League.

The right-back took a break from football before beginning his JD Cymru Premier career with the Bluebirds. Richards played a key role in helping bring European football back to Pembrokeshire, even captaining the side in both legs of the second round tie against B36 Tórshavn in Dylan Rees’ absence. During his three seasons in Haverfordwest, Richards made 64 appearances for the Bluebirds, scoring four goals. The full-back represented Cymru at several youth levels before going on to earn 14 senior caps. He was also part of the Cymru squad at Euro 2016, the nation’s first major tournament since 1958.