Peter Swan

Peter Harold Swan (born 28 September 1966) is an English former footballer who played as a defender and centre forward.

In a sixteen-year professional career in the English Football League he scored 62 goals in 445 games.

In September 1980, Leeds United chief scout Geoff Saunders signed Swan up as a schoolboy on £25 a week.

He began his career with local side Leeds United in 1984, before he moved on to Hull City for £200,000 in 1989.

Two years later he transferred to Port Vale for a fee of £300,000.

He spent three years with Vale, before he was sold on to Plymouth Argyle for the same price.

Swan turned professional with Leeds United in August 1984, having impressed those at the club so much as to earn comparisons to John Charles.

Gary Speed was his boot boy.

He finished the 1984–85 season with three goals in sixteen games.

He was not utilised by Eddie Gray, but instead made his debut as a forward under Billy Bremner on 14 October 1985, in a Full Members Cup defeat to Manchester City at Maine Road.

He won his first Football League start on 1 January 1986, playing alongside Neil Aspin in a Second Division fixture against Oldham Athletic.

His first two senior goals came in a 4–0 win against Stoke City on 1 February, both were headers from John Stiles crosses.

Leeds reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1986–87, Swan played in the quarter-final victory over Wigan Athletic, but missed the semi-final defeat to Coventry City at Hillsborough with a knee injury.

After Leeds posted a fourth-place finish in the league, his teammates then went on to lose to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final – Swan missed the game due to his knee injury – this would be as close as Swan would get to reaching the top-flight of English football.

For the 1987–88 season he shared a room with David Batty.

Swan also set up the first of Batty's four Leeds goals in a boxing day clash with Manchester City at Maine Road.

Though he was never consistently in the first XI under Bremner, when new manager Howard Wilkinson was appointed in 1988–89 Swan fell out of the first team picture completely.

He did not take to Wilkinson, and ended his first team chances at Leeds when he told Wilkinson's assistant, Mike Hennigan, that "I don't want to play for you... I just don't like him [Wilkinson]."

Swan handed in seven written transfer requests in the first three months, though was given two games before his request was granted.

In March 1989, he was sold to Hull City for £200,000 (at the time a Hull record ).

This move reunited him with manager Eddie Gray.

Leeds spent the money they received from the sale of Swan on bringing Gordon Strachan in from Manchester United.

New manager Colin Appleton used Swan in all four playing position within the first fourteen days of the 1989–90 campaign; his time in goal came when goalkeeper Iain Hesford was injured in a defeat to AFC Bournemouth and had to leave the field at half-time.

Appleton failed to control his players, and with his team bottom of the division, he was sacked in October – much to the amusement of Swan and the team.

His replacement Stan Ternent managed to instil the discipline necessary to get the best performances out of Swan and the other 'big characters' at the club.

Ternent dragged Swan off just fifteen minutes into his first match as manager, but calmed the fury of his player when he explained the change was a tactical one.

Ternent then put Swan up front with Andy Payton, and the pair put in a 28-goal haul in the league between them – with Swan claiming eleven of these despite missing fifteen games with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage in his knee.

Following his recovery Swan played in defence, and the "Tigers" managed to save their second tier status and finish in mid-table.

Leeds would go on to win the league title in 1991–92 under Wilkinson, with Strachan playing a large part in the success.

However, Swan and Hull did not find success; Gray used Swan in defence, and lost his job in the summer following a run of just one win in twelve games.

During his time at Vale Park he was selected in the PFA's Second Division team of the season in 1992–93, before he won promotion out of the division in 1993–94; he also won the TNT Tournament in 1992 and the Football League Trophy in 1993 with the club.

However, at Plymouth he failed to find success, and was instead transferred to Burnley for £200,000 after just twelve months.

In 1997, he signed with Bury for £50,000, before he returned to Burnley as a free transfer signing the following year.

In 2000, he joined York City, before he retired later in the year.

Born in Leeds, he grew up in a newsagents with his sisters Janice and Diane.

England and Great Britain rugby league footballer; Harry Wilson was a great-grandfather of his through his father's side.

Swan supported West Ham United as a boy.

As a child he played alongside Don Goodman in a local youth side.

When Swan moved up into Belle Isle Middle School, staff member John Bateman spotted his talent and recommended him to Yorkshire Amateurs.

He later played for Leeds City Boys, the area's top junior side, where he once came up against John Beresford, who would become his close friend.