With the pending announcement of Steve Cooper taking on the Nottingham Forest managerial role this week it seems a few loaded questions got Steve Cooper talking. Sidetracked clearly by his upcoming new job, Cooper has been asked if there are any other players he admires in general conversation. It turned in to a news story.
The first thing most managers want to do in a new role is bring in their type of player, the type of professional they can trust to assist them achieve their goals at the club. It seems Jay Fulton fits that role for Steve Cooper, a tough tackling hard working midfielder who often took games by the scruff of the neck and turned them round under Cooper. His goal in the away game at Sheffield Wednesday last season was a measure of his ability.
Fulton joined the swans from Falkirk in January 2014, the estimated fee was around £100,000. At the time numerous Falkirk players signed for the swans, Jay Fulton clearly the most successful. Many will remember his father Steve Fulton who was also a professional footballer for Hearts making nearly 400 appearances in his football career for the Tynecastle club plus Celtic, Kilmarnock, Partick, amongst numerous others. The football gene is there for sure, Fulton placed nearly a thousand passes last season with a 78% completion rate, that’s fair going. His tackling rewards him with a 73% success rate, but also comes with a niggle or two as well. Some managers like that bite in midfield, and it has been something the swans have missed this season.
Fulton, now 27, like Matt Grimes is in the stage of his career where he possibly needs to move on. It isn’t a must, Russell Martin will most certainly see the benefits of a player like Fulton as the season progresses. Jay signed his new contract in January this year. Steve Cooper and the swans were in their most impressive part of the season, everything looked rosey. It didn’t work out with a promotion but Fulton was a major contributor to the success in getting to Wembley last season. Then as we know he was sent off in that play off final, pretty much closing the season for his club there and then.
Fulton remains an impressive performer for the swans, recently benched he remains of great value all round at the club. The club most certainly value him highly. Having developed him from the age of 20 there will certainly be a bidding war if Forest want him. A lengthy contract ahead of him at Swansea, incredible stats in his favoured position, and a potential game changer the club will certainly put three million pounds on Fulton’s head, and Nottingham Forest had better start thinking north of that figure.
It’s likely too Steve Cooper will be supported by his new employers so his desire to sign a player like Fulton could easily transpire. In his prime he still has much to offer Swansea, but if the new era at the swans isn’t appealing to him as it didn't Connor Roberts, we could see another player leave the club in January for a very decent profit.
Approaching 250 professional games for Falkirk, Swansea, Oldham and Wigan Jay is also at his own crossroads. He has the premier league on his CV and a lot of admirers, for swans fans hopefully more at Swansea than at Nottingham Forest, but this transfer has all the feel of a positive one for Forest during the next transfer window.