It was only back in January of this year that at Steve Cooper’s insistence Jay Fulton signed a new Swansea City contract. At the time Cooper was riding high with the swans and Jay Fulton was seemingly one of the main reasons for the swans success to date. Jay signed his contract keeping him at Swansea until 2024. That could now backfire on Cooper.
Since his nightmare at Wembley in the play off final where he was sent off, Jay Fulton has not featured that much in the starting eleven at Swansea City. Occupying the bench in the main this season, Fulton has been continuously frustrated by his non selection by new swans boss Russell Martin. Seemingly frozen out by new signings Flynn Downes, Liam Walsh and now Olivier Ntcham, Fulton after seven years at the swans is at his footballing cross roads.
With 132 Swansea City games under his belt and eight goals Fulton at 27 years of age with a family growing up in Swansea, Steve Cooper described him as a ‘selfless man’ prior to him signing his new Swansea contract. In fact he said "I really want to extend Jay's contract, I hope that can get sorted out," "For me, Jay is in really good form, and his contribution so far this season, and we're only halfway so we're only looking forward, but I've got to tell you, I think he's contributed an awful lot this season. I can't tell you how professional he is. He's the ultimate team player or squad member if you like. He's always put everything else before him, a selfless individual. Swansea is very important to him. His wife has just given birth to a second child and they're going to grow up here, and that's important when you're a family man as he is. I've had really good conversations with Jay this season and recently. We're all on the same page”
Big words from any manager, and words which secured Jay his three year deal.
Steve Cooper and Jay Fulton at Swansea City
A few months is a long time in football, and now it seems by Cooper pushing for Fulton to be given a new deal at Swansea, will make his top January target far more expensive with over two years still left to run. That aside with a two million price on his head the 27 year old still has a few years of prime time football left in him. It seems Jay Fulton’s seven year relationship may well come to an end in January, Cooper sees him as a top target, and Forest have already stated they will back him in the next window. For Fulton’s sake he needs first team football, for the sake of Swansea City we can only hope he breaks into the first team and proves to Russell Martin he is key to the swans for the rest of the season.
However, that hope seems a long way off, with Jay not starting the last game at Birmingham, especially when it was a prime opportunity for Martin to play him stating the team were tired after two big games before Saturdays defeat. We can only assume at this time he isn’t going to feature in any of Martin’s plans unless a major injury crisis ensues.
It’s a great shame, Fulton offers a completely different dimension to any midfield, a dimension we think that would have been a big positive on Saturday, especially when the swans had equalised and were pressing for the win. It seems Fulton is to join Morgan Whittaker as an option for other clubs in eight weeks time. Also it seems that Alan Tate who is now also with Steve Cooper at Forest, was also surplus to requirements in Russell Martin’s Swansea revolution. And if that’s the case who else from the old Swansea guard will become available in the new year ? These are huge decisions for Martin to make and on,y time will tell if he has got these big calls right.
What are your thoughts on the swans losing Jay Fulton in January to a Championship rival ?