“iT wAs The PerfecT TiMe
for Me To coMe bAck.”
because the football wasn’t going well. So if it scoring midfielder all leave, that’s a massive blow
wasn’t for her, I would have been feeling more to any side. Morale would have been down. It was
down. Everything with Charlotte is going well at the the perfect time for me to come back.”
minute. We’re living together and it’s all good so far
— fingers crossed. I’m renting with her in Swansea
He now hopes to rekindle some of the magic that
because I’m only here until January,” he says.
was present the last time he played at the Swans,
both on the pitch and in his personal life.
“I don’t think I’ll be getting married any time soon,
but it’s something that we have spoken about.
“I’ve spent some of the best years of my life here.
We’ve been together a year now and everything’s
There are some lovely places in Swansea,” he says.
going well, so we’ll have to see how it goes.”
“Family and friends never imagined Swansea to be
like it is. People imagine it’s a little town with not
Pastures old and new
much around. But you’ve only got to look at places
Lee says Charlotte was happy to move for him.
like Mumbles and the Gower to see why I love it.
“She doesn’t mind moving to Swansea with me at
all. Obviously it’s going to help with my career, so
“A lot has changed since I first came here,
she was happy to move. I had spoken a lot about
especially in SA1 and the marina, with all the new
Swansea for ages and said it was a lovely place.
properties. You can see that Swansea is a city on
Now she’s got a chance to see for herself.
the up and that there are a lot of things going on.
“She’ll be down here most of the time, but every
“It’s just nice to be walking around the city and
now and then she’ll have to go to Bristol or London
having people saying ‘welcome back’. It gives you
for work. If you’re at a stage in a relationship where
a nice feeling. Everyone I’ve met has had positive
you are taking things seriously, you make an effort
things to say, all of the fans have been brilliant.”
for one another.”
A fresh start
In past interviews, Lee has politely avoided
But it is new manager Paulo Sousa he needs to
questions about his love life. But now, for the first
impress if he wants to make an impact.
time, he is happy chatting about a girlfriend. It is
clear he’s a man in love and all aspects of his life
“When I came back, we sat down and had a talk
seem to be falling into place. Not least, of course,
about the way he wants the team to play and the
his return to Swansea City.
way he sees me fitting into that. He’s aware of the
rapport I seem to have with fans because he’s the
“I’d heard rumours of me coming back because I’ve
manager, but I don’t think it counts for anything,”
still got a lot of friends in the area,” he says. “Then
Lee says
I got a phone call from the Bristol City manager
saying Swansea City had called and wanted to take
That is the main reason that perhaps explains Lee’s
me on loan. I’d been waiting for this for a couple of
popularity with the people of Swansea. His humble
years, so I jumped at the chance. I came straight
nature could charm almost anyone.
down here.”
Hearing thousands chant your name at matches
The night before his first day of training at Swansea,
and experiencing constant adulation could make
Roberto Martinez texted, congratulating him on the
anyone arrogant. But Lee, while clearly grateful for
move. “The text said: ‘Get back to the way we know
any support, remains refreshingly humble.
you can play’, which was a nice touch,” Lee says.
“I’m coming here as a fresh player and I can’t live
He was welcomed back with open arms by fans. At
on what I’ve done before,” says Lee. “I’ve come
a time when the club is still sore from Roberto’s exit
back and now I need to do it again. It’s about what
and with numerous players injured, his return was
you do now to help the side. It’s up to me to come
just what the club needed to boost morale.
back, get my head down and work hard.”
“When I came on for the first time, the fans were
It seems his big aim is to secure his place here
brilliant. Straightaway they were chanting my
beyond January, when his loan from Bristol expires.
name again,” he says. “It’s so nice to be back and
hopefully I can get back to scoring goals.
“I want to try to earn a contract, because I left once
and if I got the chance I wouldn’t want to leave
“When the manager, the top striker and a goal- again. I want to finish my playing career here.”
Trundle on MArTinez
One man who could relate to Lee’s sudden drop in popularity two years ago is former Swans manager Roberto Martinez. He
helped the team reach the Championship for the first time in 24 years, but when he made a shock move to Wigan, things
turned sour for the Spaniard.
“I can totally understand why the fans are disappointed with Roberto,” says Lee. “It is all new and a bit raw. Obviously,
fans will see the bad side, but when it settles down fans will have to look back on what he did for the club. He got them
promoted, got some great players in and had them playing some great football. So although fans are sad now that he’s
gone, and a bit angry, when they look over the course of it, they’ll know that he did well for Swansea City.”
He even defends, in part, Roberto’s taking Jason Scotland with him and attempting to tempt Ferrie Bodde to follow. “As a
manager he has seen them play first hand, so he knows what they can do. He’s just trying to get the best he can,” says Lee.
“Obviously as a Swansea fan, it’s like he’s ransacking the club, taking all the best players. It’s going to hinder Swansea in
the long run if all those players went, so you can see the fans’ side of it as well and why they’d be angry.”
swansealife October 2009 29
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