Forget form, this is all about winning a battle
HE MIGHT BE 3,000 MILES AWAY, BUT GUNNARSSON WILL BE RIGHT BEHIND BLUEBIRDS FOR SWANS CLASH PLUS WHAT BECAME OF THE CITY SIDE FROM DERBY DAY 2014?
SWANSEA City take on rivals Cardiff City for the first time since February 2014 this weekend.
Neil Warnock’s men will head to the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, with both sides eager to claim the bragging rights.
But what happened to the players on both sides who played in the last derby fixture, when Swansea won the game 3-0?
Here’s what they’re up to now...
CARDIFF
David Marshall
Will go down as one of the best goalkeepers ever to have donned a Cardiff shirt.
He was a colossus between the sticks during the Bluebirds’ first stint in the Premier League and enjoyed seven years in South Wales.
Was moved on to Hull City in 2016 before switching to Wigan Athletic at the start of this campaign.
Ben Turner
Another who rose to prominence at Cardiff City Stadium. His partnership with Mark Hudson in defence formed a solid base for three brilliant seasons.
Turner also left Cardiff in 2016, finding home in the lower leagues with Burton Albion.
He was briefly moved on to Mansfield Town before switching to Notts County this summer.
Steven Caulker
Had just one season in South Wales and will be remembered as the man who scored the only goal in the Bluebirds’ 1-0 win over Swansea earlier that season.
He has recently spoken out about the mental health troubles he has endured, but, after spells at QPR, Southampton, Liverpool and Dundee, has thankfully found peace and comfort in Turkey with Alanyaspor. One of a select group to have played for both clubs.
Fabio
The former Manchester United man quickly became a fan favourite in South Wales owing to his tenacity and commitment to the cause.
He had a two-year spell at Middlesbrough after his City days before moving out to France in 2018 to play for Nantes in Ligue 1.
He is still there now.
Declan John
A Cardiff City academy product who struggled to really force his way into the first-team fray on a regular basis. He had loan spells at Barnsley, Chesterfield and Rangers before joining the latter on a permanent deal.
He crossed the divide in 2018 to sign for Swansea City, where he still plays.
Gary Medel
The Chilean became a cult hero in the Welsh capital following his one-year stay at the club.
His no-nonsense style of defending and outright aggression quickly endeared him to the Cardiff faithful. After the Bluebirds, he had a successful three-year stint at Inter Milan before moving on to Besiktas in 2017. He moved back to Italy with Bologna this summer.
Kim Bo-kyung
Another who earned many admirers during his time in South Wales. An industrious midfielder who was tidy with the ball at his feet.
He had a brief spell at Wigan in 2015 before moving back to Asia with Japanese side Matsumoto Yamaga. He then switched back to his native South Korea with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Another move back to Japan saw him sign up with Kashiwa Reysol in 2017, but he is currently on loan back in South Korea with Ulsan Hyundai.
Peter Whittingham
A bona fide club legend. Whittingham earned his iconic status with his wand of a left foot over a 10-year spell in the Welsh capital.
He moved on to Blackburn Rovers for a season in 2017 before completely vanishing off the radar.
The hunt for him continues.
Wilfried Zaha
Was on loan at City from Manchester United at the time, hoping to regain the sort of form that earned him the move to Old Trafford in the first place. It never worked out for him up in Manchester, but he has gone from strength to strength back at Crystal Palace.
The Eagles were forced to fend off a number of bids for him this summer from the likes of Arsenal and Everton, and demanded a princely £80m for his services.
Craig Bellamy
Another club legend during his playing days. He returned to the Welsh capital to drive City’s promotion bid to the Premier League and did just that.
Moved into the club’s academy set-up after retiring in 2014, but left under something of a cloud this summer, linking up with former Manchester City team-mate Vincent Kompany in Anderlecht to take up a coaching role there.
Kenwyne Jones
Had a strong start to the Championship campaign after relegation back down to the second tier, but was loaned out to Bournemouth in the January. Struggled to force his way back in regularly at the start of the 2015-16 campaign and eventually left for UAE-based club Al Jazira in the January, again on loan.
He finished his career with a season at Atlanta United in the States, which included a loan stint at Central in his native Trinidad and Tobago.
He was named Trinidad and Tobago under-17s coach earlier this year.
SUBS Fraizer Campbell
Moved on after Cardiff’s first stint in the top flight, finding home at Crystal
Palace.
That was followed by a two-year stint at Hull City before landing himself a move to Huddersfield Town at the start of this season.
Kevin McNaughton
Another Bluebirds legend who came off the bench in this tie. Following almost 300 appearances in a City shirt, the right-back moved on in 2015, signing for Wigan.
He then went back to his native Scotland, playing for Inverness, Forfar Athletic and most recently Kirriemuir Thistle. He also recently had a stint as assistant manager of Forfar Athletic.
Jordon Mutch
A midfielder who earned many fans in South Wales, famed for his attacking flair and eye for a killer pass. His exploits earned him a move to QPR before a four-year spell at Crystal Palace.
He enjoyed loan spells at Reading and Vancouver Whitecaps before heading out to South Korea in February to sign for Gyeongnam FC. The 27-yearold is now a free agent.
MANAGER
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Had only just taken the reins from Malky Mackay and at that stage had won just one in five league games. He struggled in the Bluebirds hot seat and didn’t even last a whole calendar year, eventually leaving in the September of that year. Solskjaer went back to manage Molde in his native Norway for four years before Jose Mourinho’s sacking at Manchester United meant they moved to instate the former Old Trafford striker as caretaker boss.
His start was so good they handed him the job on a permanent basis, however, United have struggled badly since and he is now under pressure to keep his job.
SWANSEA
Michel Vorm
The Dutchman was released by
Tottenham in the summer after five years at the club, only to re-sign for Mauricio Pochettino’s side until the end of the season to provide cover for the injured Hugo Lloris.
Angel Rangel
The Spaniard is still with Queens Park Rangers having joined the Rs after being released by the Swans following the relegation in 2018. Rangel signed a fresh one-year contract with the London club in July.
Chico Flores
The Spanish defender signed a one-year deal with Fuenlabrada in the summer following spells with Lekhwiya, Granada and Rubin Kazan. At just 32 years of age, the centreback still has time on his hands.
Ashley Williams
The central defender endured a tough spell at Everton and left the Toffees following a season-long loan spell at Stoke City. After struggling to find a club, he was left out of Wales’ squad for the Euro 2020 qualifier with Azerbaijan, although he is back in top form having joined Bristol City.
Ben Davies
Academy product Davies’ career has gone from strength to strength at Tottenham, and the versatile left-back remains an integral figure for his country too.
Nathan Dyer
One of two men in this list still playing for the Swans. Dyer has made more than 300 appearances for Swansea in all competitions since joining the club from Southampton.
Leon Britton
Club icon Britton has held numerous behind-the-scenes roles since the arrival of Trevor Birch as chairman. He has played a key part in Swansea’s recruitment in recent months, while the former midfielder was recently named as the Swans’ first sporting director.
Jonathan de Guzman
The 14-cap Netherlands international struggled for game time at Napoli
after leaving Swansea in 2014 and joined Eintracht Frankfurt following loan spells with Carpi and Chievo. He has made just three appearances for the German club this season though, scoring what proved to be the winner in his side’s Europa League triumph against Vaduz in August.
Wayne Routledge
The other man still in the current squad. Routledge signed a one-year contract extension with the Swans following the conclusion of the 2018/19 campaign and has been promised a future behind-the-scenes role at the club by Birch.
Marvin Emnes
After two loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Emnes signed for Turkish outfit Akhisar Belediyespor before signing for Vancouver Whitecaps last year, although he left the Canadian outfit without playing a single game for the club.
Wilfried Bony
Currently without a club having been released by the Swans in the summer, Bony is still training on a personal regime as has spent time with Newport County as he continues to search for a new team.
SUBS Pablo Hernandez
The ex-Spain international is still tearing things up in the Championship with Leeds United and lined up against his former employers when Steve Cooper’s men emerged victorious against the Whites at Elland Road in August.
Jose Canas
Now 32 years of age, Canas had spells with Espanyol and PAOK before joining current club Red Star
Belgrade as a free agent in June. He has featured 11 times for the Serbian outfit in all competitions so far this term, including in their 5-0 Champions League group stage loss to Tottenham.
Neil Taylor
The left-back remains an important figure for Aston Villa while he is still a regular in Ryan Giggs’ Wales squads.
MANAGER Garry Monk
Following spells with Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City, Monk was appointed as Sheffield Wednesday boss after Steve Bruce’s move from Hillsborough to Newcastle United. The 40-year-old will take charge of the Owls against Swansea when the two sides meet in Sheffield next month.