Phil SumblerWe have been here before but when a player moves between clubs it has become traditional for them to say their goodbyes via social media, something that Ryan Manning did yesterday following his move to Southampton on a free transfer.
Manning moved to the South coast following the expiry of his contract in SA1 with several rumours suggesting that the Swans had asked the player to take a pay cut to remain at the club.
Whether there was any truth in that or not is probably irrelevant at this stage as it became clear quite some time ago that Manning was on his way to a new challenge although at that time it probably wasn’t expected that he would still be playing for a Russell Martin side next season.
That all changed though when Martin’s head was turned by interest from Southampton and he took his managerial process and most of his backroom staff with him to St Mary’s.
Rumours continue to circulate that he will also return for his former skipper in Matt Grimes but it was the name of Manning who was the first to sign up to be with his former manager when he put pen to paper on a contract at Southampton.
In his Instagram post, Manning wrote “Thank you @swansofficial and the Jack army 🦢🦢 Amazing 3 seasons spent in Swansea from a play off final to the first “doube” backed up by a “double doube”. That last minute winner is the best moment of my career and something I’ll never forget 🤍.
“It’s been an honour to represent this football club and a pleasure to work with incredible staff and teammates week in week out 🤍 Thank you to the Jack Army for their incredible support throughout the years.”
Manning is said to have turned down two Premier League clubs to sign for Southampton and said after he signed on in the South Coast “I’m absolutely delighted to be here. I’m over the moon and I can’t wait to get started. It’s a massive club, been in the Premier League for so many years, and I’m just excited about the challenge of getting it back there.
“With the gaffer coming here, knowing his style of football and how he wants his team to play, it felt like a perfect fit for me where the club and the manager lined up.
“You’re coming to a Premier League football club that’s in the Championship, so the ambition is promotion and nothing else, and that’s exactly what I was looking for as the next move in my career. I think it’s the perfect club for me to come to, the ambition is massive and everyone as a collective is working towards getting back to the Premier League.”
His value to Swansea was summed up by Russell Martin who said “He’s got a fantastic personality, a lot of energy and was a really important member of our group at Swansea, not just on the pitch but off it as well.
“In terms of on the pitch, he’s an outstanding footballer who has a brilliant understanding of what we want. He played in a few positions for us previously, and he’s coming here as a left-back because he ended up performing as one of the best left-backs in the division last year.”
