Well, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has already started its annual pre-season boot camp. This program is intended to get free agents new clubs and jump start their careers. One such participant, John Swift, a 30 year old midfielder, is pictured above. He had one difficult season at West Bromwich Albion, from which he recently departed. Swift is eager to take advantage of this opportunity. Together with experienced aces as Paul Dummett, he wants to clinch deals as pursuit from Premier League and Championship clubs sizzling up.
Swift left West Brom after a difficult last season there. He too struggled for minutes, racking up only 19 Championship starts while appearing in just eight matches total. This situation left him in a vulnerable position. The PFA camp is an opportunity for him to strut his stuff and catch the eye of someone that might take a risk on him.
John Swift’s Career Journey
T4John John Swift’s adventure has certainly had its highs and lows. He spent last season on loan with Reading. After being a free agent for two weeks, he signed with English club West Brom. Unfortunately for him and for the team, his time with the organization did not produce the outcomes either side was looking for.
I went there hoping to push for promotion. We got to the play-offs once, but missed out twice. I’m disappointed with what we achieved, to be honest,” Swift remarked, reflecting on his time at West Brom. After finishing last season at 12–14, he knew he couldn’t go out like that. He felt like the team had more in the tank and could do better.
“With the team we had, the players we had, the managers we had, I think we definitely could have kicked on more and achieved more,” he added. Swift’s honest assessment below captures the challenging position he found himself in through the frequent managerial turnover at West Brom last season.
Paul Dummett’s Path and PFA Camp Success
Joining Swift at the PFA camp is Paul Dummett, another player working their way through a transitional state in their career. Dummett, having joined Newcastle United as an eight-year-old, gave 24 years of service to the club. In his time there, he enjoyed incredible success, most notably winning the Championship title in the club’s 2016/17 season. After departing Newcastle this summer he suddenly finds himself seeking a new opportunity.
When I walked away from Newcastle I didn’t think I’d be out of a club. I was ready for a summer transfer window to open up some new opportunities. Dummett stated. His long tenure at Newcastle makes his current predicament more interesting. Now, he’s hellbent on finding a place to keep his playing career going.
PFA pre-season camp has been very valuable for players in this situation. In 2024, around 100 of the 120 players who went to that camp earned contracts. This high success rate is a testament to the value of such initiatives for free agents, like Swift and Dummett.
The Importance of Staying Match Fit
Both players are currently looking for new clubs. They all understand that it’s absolutely vital to remain match fit through this foggy period. Swift emphasized this point when discussing his decision to attend the camp: “I’d rather come here as you can’t replicate what you do on the pitch in the gym. During all of the time I’m living without a club, you can find me here, working.
His dedication to his conditioning and preparedness is indicative of the attitude you see from many of the higher quality free agents that show up to these camps. Competing in training against other top professionals levels the playing field for all players to prove themselves and get ready for any possible trials or offers that may arise.
Swift’s take on his time at West Brom goes some way to highlighting the issues he encountered there. The last year of my agreement there was difficult. I played bench quite a bit myself. I wish I could tell you that it went perfectly at the very end,” he said. He shared how thankful he was for his experience. So, even with all those challenges – he was not a whiner – he loved so many things about his times there.
As they continue training, both players are staying positive as they look for their next possible opportunity playing professional football. With continued interest from various clubs, Swift and Dummett are keen to demonstrate their capabilities and secure contracts that will allow them to continue their careers.
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