“LEE TRUNDLE became a cult hero during successful spells with the likes of Wrexham and Swansea – but he reckons it was only possible thanks to iconic Soccer AM presenter Tim Lovejoy. The striker, 49, is still lacing up his boots for Pure Swansea in the Ardal South West League. Sign up for the Football”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
The striker, 49, is still lacing up his boots for Pure Swansea in the Ardal South West League.
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Lee Trundle became a cult hero after showing off his skills on Soccer AMCredit: Getty
He reckons Tim Lovejoy had a big impact on his careerCredit: Rex But, earlier in his memorable career, Trundle was a regular face on the hit Sky Sports show Soccer AM every Saturday morning.
And the Liverpudlian has credited his entire career to Lovejoy after his eye-catching skills were broadcast to millions of viewers when he was still finding his feet in League Two.
Trundle told The Athletic: “The thing that helped me was Tim Lovejoy’s wife at the time was from Swansea.
“Her family would be at the game and saying to Tim, ‘You should see what this lad is doing for Swansea’.
“Once Soccer AM got hold of it and saw the tricks I was doing, they started to watch out for it.
“That took things to a whole new level. Beforehand, it would have just been Wrexham and Swansea fans who knew about me.”
Trundle won silverware and notched close to 100 goals for Swansea before joining Bristol City for £1million in 2007.
But it was his outrageous tricks that resulted in him often featuring on a segment of Soccer AM called Showboat.
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Among Trundle’s most iconic moments was a shoulder roll that incensed Huddersfield duo Ian Hughes and Paul Scott so much that they were both sent off in a clash with Swansea in 2003.
He added: “If someone does something on a Saturday afternoon now, five minutes later, it is all over social media. It’s just out there.
“Whereas before Soccer AM, I’d do things in games, even at Swansea, that have never been seen.
“Same with Wrexham, who gave me my Football League debut. I played the same for them as I did Swansea. It’s how I’ve always played, wanting to put a smile on people’s faces.
“I didn’t learn any new tricks after leaving Wrexham, but what I did there just wasn’t caught on camera.
“The TV just focused on goals back then. You’d have to search for the clips. That only changed with Soccer AM.”
Trundle also had spells with the likes of Leeds and Preston in the EFL.
Trundle won silverware with SwanseaCredit: Getty
He scored close to 100 goals for the Welsh sideCredit: PA