Kenny Swain


Kenneth Swain is an English former footballer who played in numerous positions, including striker, midfielder and full back.

Football career

Swain began his professional career with Londoners Chelsea, signing from Wycombe Wanderers in the summer of 1973. As he had been a non-contract player with Wycombe, having joined them from college football, his signing-on fee was just £500. He made his League debut for Chelsea in 1974. His most successful season with the club came in 1976-77, when his strike partnership with Steve Finnieston helped Eddie McCreadie's young side win promotion back to the First Division. He remained with Chelsea until 1979, when they were relegated, and then signed for Aston Villa for £100,000.
With Villa, Swain was switched to full-back and was a part of the team which won the league championship and European Cup in consecutive seasons. He left Villa in 1983 and had spells with Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth and finally Crewe Alexandra. He achieved success later in his career, adding to the league title and European Cup winner's medals at Aston Villa with a Second Division runners-up medal at Portsmouth in 1987, and achieving promotion in third place with Crewe from the Fourth Division in 1989.
He later moved into management, with stints with Grimsby Town and Wigan Athletic, and the England under-16s, as well as an assistant coach for the England national under-17 football team
Between 2002 and 2004, Swain was Director of Football at Thomas Telford School.

Managerial statistics

Honours

;with Crewe Alexandra
;with Aston Villa