Planet Swans ArchivesLeon Britton was once the most expensive 16 year old in football but he says that West Ham wasted their money on him when they signed him from Arsenal
Britton said: “I left school and had a choice of where to go, and West Ham was the best option for me at the time because they were great at bringing through young players.
“I went there for quite a bit of money in the end. But they wasted it on me, although they got their money’s worth out of Jermain Defoe (who moved a year earlier from Charlton).
“It was good there. I didn’t play in the first team, but I had good experience of training alongside Defoe, Carrick, Cole and the rest of the first-team players.
“It was a great experience, even though I didn’t make it.
“I look back 10 years and I’ve got to be honest, I was not good enough to play in West Ham’s first team at the time.
“It was the right decision. I’m not the same player now at 29 as I was at 18.
“To come from League Two and work your way back up you need that little bit of luck.
“Obviously, Swansea have been promoted three times, I could have been at a club that never got promoted.
“I feel like I’ve improved as a player over the years.
“A lot of the boys from that West Ham team went into the first team and have gone on to have top careers, but I’ve had to go down another route to come back up.
“But I wouldn’t change it for the world, it’s been a great experience.”
Today’s meeting is the first between the two sides since the Swans became the first bottom division team to knock a Premier League team out of the FA Cup when they beat West Ham 1-0 in a replay at the Vetch in 1999.
“I remember Joe Cole coming on for his debut at Upton Park and Martin Thomas getting the goal in the return leg.” Britton added
“But, because I didn’t have a connection with Swansea, I didn’t think much about it at the time – but it is funny how things turn out.
“It’s nice this match is not a cup game with us in League One or Two and we’ve had the big draw to play West Ham.
“It’s West Ham coming to us in the Premier League and it’s a level playing field.
“When I didn’t make it at West Ham they were in the Premier League, so it makes it that bit more special to me.
“I’ve waited a long time.
“I left about 10 years ago and I’ve been waiting to play them ever since.
“When the fixtures came out this season this was the first one I looked for.
“To play West Ham in our first home game of the season is something special for me.
“There are a number of teams who are just looking to stay in the Premier League, ourselves included in that, and West Ham are one of them.
“It’s going to be tough as a newly-promoted team, but they’ve got a manager who has plenty of experience in this league.
“They’ll be OK, I think they’ll stay up, but it’s going to be tough.”
