When a player gives something back to the sport that made him millions and doesn’t ask for any reward you have to sit up and take notice. Wilfred Bony the Ivory Coast international first came to notice after a lengthy transfer to Swansea City from Vitesse in 2013.

His career was definitely one of ups and downs, as soon as he pulled on a swans jersey he started to gain attention scoring in total twenty six goals on fifty four games. He went to Manchester City scoring six goals in thirty six games, but his golden period was indeed at Swansea. He featured as a part of that side that went on a European adventure many will never forget and stood alongside the likes of Michu, Jon de Guzman et al as the swans threatened Europe. Remembered for that memorable night in Valencia. No Welsh club has captivated the imaginations of the country as that Swansea side did.

Nowadays Wilf is at Newport County in very much what could be described as an advisory role. He is settled in Wales, his son Geoff is in the Swansea City set up and those days of being rejected by Liverpool but earning his stripes at Sparta Prague are fifteen years ago now. Bony seems to have been cut from a different cloth, with his fortune carefully invested he isn't chasing more coin as Christian Ronaldo seems determined to do. And on his return to the swans he didn’t become the centre of attention by calling out the manager in specialised press conferences.

Newport County manager Graham Coughlin is impressed with Wilf. “We’ve offered Wilf the use of the training facilities, and he has been different class. He’s been a great lad. His knowledge and his experience around the place have been brilliant with the young lads.”

And the real factor here is this, Scott Bennett, The Newport County defender is full of admiration. “He comes to all the home games and watches; he gives us motivation in the dressing room, and he’s doing it all for free. He gives really good advice, and that can only benefit us; he works hard with our strikers.You can see he’s still got the qualities, so if we could sign him, it would only benefit us.”

Bony signing for Newport is not as clear cut as many would think. His fitness is below par even though he netted in a development game against Swindon recently. Coughlin again on his potential signing. “He would have to work on his fitness if he wanted to join us, but I am not going to sit here and say the door is shut. His touch is different class, his hold-up play is different class.”

The very fact Wilfried Bony is dedicating his time for no reward at Newport, he attends the majority of games and encourages development by assisting players in sessions with advice. That’s the type of mindset football needs. He has earned a fantastic life from football and now he is improving the lives of those within the same trade.

An exceptional quality that if every footballer did the same many would feel far more happier with the route football has taken in the last twenty years.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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