Record Deal For Leacock

Swans Break Transfer Record

It was a record that stood for 25 years and was set when Colin Irwin arrived at the Vetch from Liverpool just prior to the Swans one and only adventure into the big time. It was a record that stood during the time when money went silly in football. It was a record that five years ago nobody ever envisaged us breaking.

But today that record went as Swansea City paid a club record £375,000 to Fulham for the services of defender Dean Leacock. The 22 year old tonight put pen to paper on a three year deal to remain at the Liberty Stadium having played seven times in the Premiership last season.

The deal came just minutes after the club confirmed that Welsh international Sam Ricketts had left the club for Hull after the release clause in his contract was triggered.

Swans’ official site has this to say about the new record signing "Leacock is a quick, strong defender with good technique and excellent distribution. He can occupy either a full back or a centre half role.

The England Under-20 international made his debut for Fulham in a fourth round League Cup game away at Wigan during the 2002-03 season. He made seven Premiership appearances for the Fulham first team over the busy Christmas period last season and was particularly impressive against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.Predominantly right footed, Leacock also has a useful left foot and is an expert at long diagonal passes. The centre-half was brought through the ranks of the Fulham Youth Academy and, when he signed his three-year deal with the Cottagers, Leacock was described in glowing terms by the Academy director Steve Kean who compared him to England defender Rio Ferdinand. "

Chairman Huw Jenkins added "Dean has been one of our main targets from day one,’ We’ve been trying to get him for the last 12 weeks and it was only at 5pm yesterday that Fulham decided to let him go. I know it was a hard decision for them because they rate him very highly at Craven Cottage – as does our manager Kenny Jackett.

“We have been working very hard over the summer to bring in players to strengthen our push for the Championship,” added the Swans chairman. “Hopefully we’ll have one or two more by the start of the season. We would have brought Leacock in for that sort of money even if Sam Ricketts had decided to stay because it’s our policy to keep strengthening the squad and move the club forward. There’s no point in dwelling on players who don’t want to play for Swansea City. Instead we should be excited about players who desperately want to play for this club. I’m sure Kenny will keep on finding them for us and make us even stronger.”