BanosSwan
Alan Waddle
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From Exeter - via Ultimate Frisbee - to FA Cup date with Manchester City
Matt Grimes says that schoolboy diversion helped turn him into the team player key to Swansea’s promotion push via Wednesday’s FA Cup meeting with the Premier League leaders
Grimes helps Swansea to a 2-0 victory over Norwich on Friday that lifted them to within two points of the Championship top spot
Grimes helps Swansea to a 2-0 victory over Norwich on Friday that lifted them to within two points of the Championship top spot
ATHENA PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES
Tom Roddy
Monday February 08 2021, 12.01am, The Times
The former MVP of schoolboys ultimate frisbee is talking about his turbulent journey. This season, Matt Grimes is “in the form of his life” according to Steve Cooper, his manager, leading Swansea City on another promotion charge while aiming, once again, to test Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the FA Cup on Wednesday. But it wasn’t so long ago that the Swansea captain was drifting towards the lower leagues.
“I needed to make the drop down to bounce back up,” Grimes, 25, tells The Times. “I knew the plan was to be a regular Championship or Premier League player but I needed to do that to rejuvenate my career, and myself.”
Six years ago, Grimes was signed by Swansea, then in the Premier League, for £1.75 million from Exeter City, his hometown club. A positive short-term stay at Blackburn Rovers was followed by “a failed loan” to Leeds United. “I thought I need to revive my career, need to go and have a season where I play games, and Northampton [Town in 2017] was the one that got me going again,” he says over the phone from his home in south Wales.
“I know a lot of players who will look at League Two and think, ‘Oh no, I’m not going there’, but at the end of the day you just need to play games. As a young player, if someone looks at your CV, managers, players, and sees someone has played 100 under-23 games, I don’t think it counts for as much as if you’ve played 30, 40 league games.”
Grimes is on course to complete his return to the top having led Swansea to victory over the Sky Bet Championship leaders Norwich City on Friday night to leave Cooper’s side two points off top spot. His individual resurgence would not have been possible, he says, were it not for experience of the lower leagues. He sees his time in Exeter’s academy and the season with Northampton as more beneficial than a life full of Premier League luxuries.
With Exeter he played in the same team as Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, while Ethan Ampadu, the Chelsea midfielder on loan at Sheffield United, was developing through the academy. “I think it’s better doing the route we did, coming up from the lower leagues,” he said. “If you start at Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United, really, for most of them, the only way is down.”
We often hear stories of kids who succeeded, and occasionally the sad tales of those that don’t. Grimes ended up on the right side of the divide which may, he suggests, have been down to a unique sport at school which provided escapism. Paul Ruff, his PE teacher at St Peter’s, set up an ultimate frisbee team that played every Friday evening.
“It’s similar to American football with two end zones but non-contact,” says Grimes. “Me and a couple of mates went along and really enjoyed it. I was in the Exeter academy at the time and, at that age, I feel it’s important to try your hand at different things. I don’t think football should be the be-all and end-all of life at 12 or 13 years old. We went along, enjoyed it and started playing tournaments.
“Thinking back now, it was probably more of a mental break from football for me. I played [football] every weekend, so to play in these tournaments I would have to ask my coach for a weekend off, and it is so easy for kids to get wrapped up in football at such a young age.”
SPONSORED
Grimes represented the school throughout his stay and, at the age of 15, was named most valuable player at the national championships tournament in Wolverhampton which was won by St. Peter’s. “You say national championships but there’s only a certain amount of schools that played — probably 30 or 40,” Grimes says. “Because we were a good team it made it easier for me to be a good player.”
Australia, in blue, compete with Japan in ultimate mixed frisbee, which Grimes describes as being similar to American football
Australia, in blue, compete with Japan in ultimate mixed frisbee, which Grimes describes as being similar to American football
MATTHIAS HANGST/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGESMATTHIAS HANGST/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES
This is typical of the half-hour conversation with Grimes. He plays down his role even when in a school sport from a performance ten years ago. Last week, he scored a long-range strike against Rotherham United, his fourth goal of the season. They tend to be spectacular when Grimes scores. “Yeah, when they do come along.” he says.
He is measured when discussing Swansea’s promotion chances — “It’s easy to look at the table and forget that you’ve still got 20 games to play over a really tight period, so looking further ahead than one game at a time can be detrimental” — and saves his most strident views for self-criticism, describing the move to Elland Road as “a really poor loan spell.”
Yet Grimes is the only midfielder in the Championship to have played every game last season, and one of only four players in the division to be ever-present. The statistics hold him among the best in the league for tackles, passes, assists and interceptions over the past 18 months. Sat in front of the defence, he suits Swansea’s possession-based style which has continued under Cooper.
“The team has been modelled the way the gaffer wants it to be,” Grimes says. “He’s had 18 months in the job now and he has created a culture that is one of, if not the best, dressing rooms I’ve been in. Training is enjoyable every single day and he’s created a siege mentality where nothing affects us.”
Cooper is among an impressive list of coaches Grimes has worked with. Gareth Southgate was manager of England under-21s when Grimes would be called up — “We had quite a few big-hitters,” he says, “most of them are in the Premier League now” — and Graham Potter is Cooper’s predecessor.
“Graham’s gone onto Brighton and is a top manager who, I think, will go to the very top,” Grimes says. “Pep [Guardiola] said very nice things about him the other week when they played against Man City and I’ve worked under it and seen it first-hand.”
Grimes was part of Potter’s Swansea team that almost completed a shock result against City in 2019. He converted a penalty and Bersant Celina scored to put the Welsh club in front at half-time. On came Sergio Agüero and Raheem Sterling. “I think Agüero scored a penalty to make it 2-2 and, to be honest with you, we were holding on for our lives just thinking, ‘Can we try and get to extra-time and penalties?’” Grimes says, “and then Agüero popped up with the winner in the 88th and it was heart-breaking.
“That’s the difference of strength in depth. That they can bring on players like that to win the game whether it’s against us, Cheltenham [Town in the last round] or Chelsea, he has many weapons at his disposal.”
Grimes adds: “Man City are one of, if not the best club team in the world, so we’ll just be going out and trying to show everyone we can mix it with one of the best teams in the world. We’re looking forward to it.”
Matt Grimes says that schoolboy diversion helped turn him into the team player key to Swansea’s promotion push via Wednesday’s FA Cup meeting with the Premier League leaders
Grimes helps Swansea to a 2-0 victory over Norwich on Friday that lifted them to within two points of the Championship top spot
Grimes helps Swansea to a 2-0 victory over Norwich on Friday that lifted them to within two points of the Championship top spot
ATHENA PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES
Tom Roddy
Monday February 08 2021, 12.01am, The Times
The former MVP of schoolboys ultimate frisbee is talking about his turbulent journey. This season, Matt Grimes is “in the form of his life” according to Steve Cooper, his manager, leading Swansea City on another promotion charge while aiming, once again, to test Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the FA Cup on Wednesday. But it wasn’t so long ago that the Swansea captain was drifting towards the lower leagues.
“I needed to make the drop down to bounce back up,” Grimes, 25, tells The Times. “I knew the plan was to be a regular Championship or Premier League player but I needed to do that to rejuvenate my career, and myself.”
Six years ago, Grimes was signed by Swansea, then in the Premier League, for £1.75 million from Exeter City, his hometown club. A positive short-term stay at Blackburn Rovers was followed by “a failed loan” to Leeds United. “I thought I need to revive my career, need to go and have a season where I play games, and Northampton [Town in 2017] was the one that got me going again,” he says over the phone from his home in south Wales.
“I know a lot of players who will look at League Two and think, ‘Oh no, I’m not going there’, but at the end of the day you just need to play games. As a young player, if someone looks at your CV, managers, players, and sees someone has played 100 under-23 games, I don’t think it counts for as much as if you’ve played 30, 40 league games.”
Grimes is on course to complete his return to the top having led Swansea to victory over the Sky Bet Championship leaders Norwich City on Friday night to leave Cooper’s side two points off top spot. His individual resurgence would not have been possible, he says, were it not for experience of the lower leagues. He sees his time in Exeter’s academy and the season with Northampton as more beneficial than a life full of Premier League luxuries.
With Exeter he played in the same team as Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, while Ethan Ampadu, the Chelsea midfielder on loan at Sheffield United, was developing through the academy. “I think it’s better doing the route we did, coming up from the lower leagues,” he said. “If you start at Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United, really, for most of them, the only way is down.”
We often hear stories of kids who succeeded, and occasionally the sad tales of those that don’t. Grimes ended up on the right side of the divide which may, he suggests, have been down to a unique sport at school which provided escapism. Paul Ruff, his PE teacher at St Peter’s, set up an ultimate frisbee team that played every Friday evening.
“It’s similar to American football with two end zones but non-contact,” says Grimes. “Me and a couple of mates went along and really enjoyed it. I was in the Exeter academy at the time and, at that age, I feel it’s important to try your hand at different things. I don’t think football should be the be-all and end-all of life at 12 or 13 years old. We went along, enjoyed it and started playing tournaments.
“Thinking back now, it was probably more of a mental break from football for me. I played [football] every weekend, so to play in these tournaments I would have to ask my coach for a weekend off, and it is so easy for kids to get wrapped up in football at such a young age.”
SPONSORED
Grimes represented the school throughout his stay and, at the age of 15, was named most valuable player at the national championships tournament in Wolverhampton which was won by St. Peter’s. “You say national championships but there’s only a certain amount of schools that played — probably 30 or 40,” Grimes says. “Because we were a good team it made it easier for me to be a good player.”
Australia, in blue, compete with Japan in ultimate mixed frisbee, which Grimes describes as being similar to American football
Australia, in blue, compete with Japan in ultimate mixed frisbee, which Grimes describes as being similar to American football
MATTHIAS HANGST/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGESMATTHIAS HANGST/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES
This is typical of the half-hour conversation with Grimes. He plays down his role even when in a school sport from a performance ten years ago. Last week, he scored a long-range strike against Rotherham United, his fourth goal of the season. They tend to be spectacular when Grimes scores. “Yeah, when they do come along.” he says.
He is measured when discussing Swansea’s promotion chances — “It’s easy to look at the table and forget that you’ve still got 20 games to play over a really tight period, so looking further ahead than one game at a time can be detrimental” — and saves his most strident views for self-criticism, describing the move to Elland Road as “a really poor loan spell.”
Yet Grimes is the only midfielder in the Championship to have played every game last season, and one of only four players in the division to be ever-present. The statistics hold him among the best in the league for tackles, passes, assists and interceptions over the past 18 months. Sat in front of the defence, he suits Swansea’s possession-based style which has continued under Cooper.
“The team has been modelled the way the gaffer wants it to be,” Grimes says. “He’s had 18 months in the job now and he has created a culture that is one of, if not the best, dressing rooms I’ve been in. Training is enjoyable every single day and he’s created a siege mentality where nothing affects us.”
Cooper is among an impressive list of coaches Grimes has worked with. Gareth Southgate was manager of England under-21s when Grimes would be called up — “We had quite a few big-hitters,” he says, “most of them are in the Premier League now” — and Graham Potter is Cooper’s predecessor.
“Graham’s gone onto Brighton and is a top manager who, I think, will go to the very top,” Grimes says. “Pep [Guardiola] said very nice things about him the other week when they played against Man City and I’ve worked under it and seen it first-hand.”
Grimes was part of Potter’s Swansea team that almost completed a shock result against City in 2019. He converted a penalty and Bersant Celina scored to put the Welsh club in front at half-time. On came Sergio Agüero and Raheem Sterling. “I think Agüero scored a penalty to make it 2-2 and, to be honest with you, we were holding on for our lives just thinking, ‘Can we try and get to extra-time and penalties?’” Grimes says, “and then Agüero popped up with the winner in the 88th and it was heart-breaking.
“That’s the difference of strength in depth. That they can bring on players like that to win the game whether it’s against us, Cheltenham [Town in the last round] or Chelsea, he has many weapons at his disposal.”
Grimes adds: “Man City are one of, if not the best club team in the world, so we’ll just be going out and trying to show everyone we can mix it with one of the best teams in the world. We’re looking forward to it.”
