a dyer way to go out!
By Guto Llewellyn
If you thought Steve Cooper’s Swansea City goodbye was a long one, Nathan Dyer’s was an eternity in comparison! ATFV columnist Guto Llewellyn looks back at the emotional farewell that was finally afforded to a loyal servant……..
Nathan Dyer, a key player in Swansea’s greatest ever era, has announced his retirement from football.
An excellent dribbler whose pace and trickery terrified full-backs for years, he recently called time on a fantastic career which saw him win both a League Cup and remarkably, the Premier League title!
He joined Swansea in 2009 and instantly fitted into Roberto Martinez’s system beautifully. In two and a half years in the Championship he became a potent weapon on the right wing and popped up with the odd goal, including two against Cardiff – which always goes down well.
He was the club’s player of the season in the magnificent 2010-11 campaign and won a penalty for Swansea’s opener in the play-off final, helping the Swans to only their second ever promotion to the top flight.
Sometimes the mists of time clouds our memories and it’s easy to forget the greatness of some players, but Dyer’s performances in those first few years in the Premier League will forever be remembered. He routinely butchered left backs, either leaving them for dead or forcing them into desperate fouls.
Who can forget the way he stunningly embarrassed Ashley Cole in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea in 2012? He tore the England defender to pieces before Cole finally lost his cool and got sent off for a second yellow card. It couldn’t have happened to a more likeable man.
Under Michael Laudrup his fantastic form continued, scoring two in the unforgettable opening day thrashing of QPR and another two in the League Cup final against Bradford, although we all know it should have been a hat-trick.
He fell slightly out of favour under Garry Monk and was sent on loan to Leicester where he played a small part in one of the great fairytale stories of modern football before returning to the banks of the River Tawe.
The following years were not as fruitful as the club fell on hard times. Dyer was in and out of the team under various managers as the Swans slowly slid towards relegation. After dropping into the Championship Dyer was exiled for the first half of the season but made a triumphant return to Graham Potter’s team, showing he still had plenty to contribute.
Under Steve Cooper we saw Dyer become a peripheral figure and when his contract expired in 2020 he seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. No announcement was made by the club, Dyer just found himself in some kind of strange footballing purgatory.
Then a few weeks ago, more than a year after his contract had ended, Dyer confirmed that his playing days were over. Dyer made one final appearance in front of the Liberty Stadium crowd to say his goodbyes but it was a strangely muted way for such a legend to leave the game.
Only 13 players have made more appearances for the Swans than Dyer’s 347. For several years he was one of the best dribblers in the Premier League and an outstanding contributor to a golden era in the club’s history but his final years in the game just saw him fade before announcing his retirement.
Sadly he’s not the only legendary Swan to have very low key retirements in recent years.
Angel Rangel, who formed a natural partnership with Dyer during their time together at the Swans, announced his retirement last April, nearly a year after his last professional appearance, due to a serious knee injury.
A few months earlier Ashley Williams quietly announced that his playing days were done, having spent half a season without a club after he was let go by Bristol City.
These two are Swansea City greats, players who could stake a very strong claim to being included in an all-time Swans XI, so their muted departures from the game just felt a bit wrong.
Then came the recent emotional announcement from Wayne Routledge that he had played his last game for Swansea. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to continue playing elsewhere but having suffered a serious injury at the grand old age of 36, the odds are stacked against him.
It reflects a sad truth about sport, that players very rarely get to leave the game in the way they would want. The nature of the beast means that more often than not, other factors will decide on your behalf how you retire.
Either injury forces your hand or clubs will simply let you know that you’re not wanted any more and you just quietly pack your bags and head for the exit.
It’s not nice but that’s just the way things are and every player knows this.
Very few players get the big send-off, that one final showpiece fixture in front of adoring fans. For most players, even many who achieve true greatness in the game, there are no fireworks or speeches, just a flat realisation that it’s all over.
It’s something we all accept but it still feels so unsatisfactory in the case of players who have given so much for this club. These men are responsible for some of our best ever memories, not just in football but in life.
It’s a shame that greatness like this cannot be given the recognition these players deserve.
A decade on from our promotion to the Premier League and our spectacular first season back in the top tier, it would be nice if we could honour these superb careers and their contributions to our club with a proper collective celebration.
Until then, at least we have now given Nathan Dyer the sort of send off he deserves.
