SWANS: ‘They belong in the top flight’: Wembley hat-trick hero Scott Sinclair sees shades of 2011 in Matos’ Swansea

Scott Sinclair, whose Wembley hat-trick took Swansea City into the Premier League in 2011, says the current side remind him of the team he played in.

And the former winger wants them back in the top flight, where he believes they belong.

“Honestly, I’d love to see Swansea back in the Premier League. They haven’t been up there since 2018, so it’s been a long time,” he told betting site Andy’s Bet Club.

“They belong in the top flight, and they’ve been playing magnificent football.”

‘It feels similar to when I was playing under Brendan Rodgers’

Sinclair sees the same ideas in Vitor Matos’ team that ran through his own promotion side: keep the ball, then do something with it.

“The manager has done a great job building a structure focused on attack; it feels similar to when I was playing under Brendan Rodgers, keeping possession, but with a real end product. It’s exciting to see,” he said.

No superstars, but ‘incredible togetherness’

He says this side don’t depend on big names. “They might not have individual superstars, but you can see incredible togetherness when you watch them,” he said.

“That unity is what you need as a football club, everyone playing their part, from the goalkeeper and defence to the midfield and wingers.

“The manager has sorted them out, and as a whole group, they are all pulling in the same direction.”

Jay Fulton, 12 years at the club, said much the same before the West Ham game, describing a squad with “almost two out in every position”.

‘Keep their foot on the gas’

Sinclair knows it is early. The Swans are top of the Championship after 11 games, but only a point clear of West Ham and Middlesbrough after West Ham’s 1-0 win at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday.

“It’s still early days, and there are only a couple of points separating the top few teams,” he said.

“But if they keep their foot on the gas and maintain this momentum, I really hope Swansea will be back in the Premier League.”

Matos has been just as careful, saying before the West Ham game that “10 games is 10 games”.

Three goals at Wembley, 36 for the Swans

Sinclair scored three times in Brendan Rodgers’ side’s 4-2 win over Reading in the play-off final on 30 May 2011, two of them penalties, as the Swans became the first Welsh club to reach the Premier League.

He scored 36 goals in nearly 100 games for Swansea before joining Manchester City in 2012, and went on to play for Aston Villa and Celtic.

His last visit to Fairwood was in July 2024, when he scored twice for Bristol Rovers in a 2-2 pre-season friendly against the Swans.

The Swans go to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, 24 October (3pm).

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