Wigan Athletic were the ones to lose out in £2 million Swansea City deal | OneFootball

Jason Scotland was a force to be reckoned with in Wales, but couldn't recreate that with the Latics

During his time at Swansea City, Jason Scotland was something of a phenom, with no defence spared from his goalscoring exploits during his two years in South Wales.

The forward broke the 20-goal barrier in both of his seasons after moving down from St Johnstone in the summer of 2007, and helped the Swans claim the League One title at the end of his first season with the club.

His name appearing on the scoresheet felt like something of an inevitability when he took to the field, and that continued into the Championship, with another eye-catching season drawing plenty of attention his way.

A move to Wigan Athletic in the Premier League proved to be a step too far for the Trinidadian though, with the Latics failing to see much reward for their £2 million outlay.

Jason Scotland proves goalscoring talents after Swansea City switch

After netting 33 goals in 66 league matches north of the border, Scotland left his namesake country and pitched up in Wales for the 07/08 campaign, with the striker becoming one of Roberto Martinez’s first signings as Swans boss.

Right from the off, the intricate passing style that the Spaniard was inducing at the club was paying off for his new forward, with six goals in his first nine matches for his new club laying down a marker for the rest of the division, with goals coming at a regular rate as the season continued.

The bustling striker seemed to have it all; the power and pace to hold off defenders, the fleet-footedness to keep the opposition guessing, and the unerring accuracy of finding the bottom corner, which he did so more often than not.

With the Swans playing some of the finest football seen in the third tier at the time, Scotland was the main benefactor, and as the season progressed he was continuing to add to his reputation.

Another scintillating run of seven goals in eight matches saw him catch fire again around Christmas, with the deciding goal in a 3-2 win over Leeds United catching the eye, as he scored off two covering defenders with his brawn and brutality before dispatching past the goalkeeper with aplomb.

It wasn’t long before City had the title wrapped up, with Scotland netting 24 times across the campaign to make the dream become reality, before going on to have an equally fruitful time in the second tier.

After getting his season off the mark with the winner against Plymouth Argyle in his third Championship outing, it took a while for the goals to start flowing in his new surroundings, but when they did come it was as if the dam had been breached, as he caught fire in the second-half of the season.

The Championship new boys were soon starting to show the rest of the division what they could do, and Scotland was the main protagonist once again, with the Jack Army riding the crest of a wave as a play-off push started to come into motion.

Taking the ball on the half turn, the Trinidadian was a maestro at taking the defender out of the game, with the archetypal Scotland goal coming from the edge of the area, having found room for himself to unleash an unstoppable drive 18 yards from goal.

His never-ending appetite for hounding the opposition brought with it plenty of rewards as well, and with a 21-goal season in the bag, it wasn’t long before the Premier League came calling.

Roberto Martinez brings Jason Scotland to Wigan Athletic but fails to recreate Swansea City success

Along with Scotland, Martinez’s reputation had been growing over the previous two seasons of joy in South Wales, with the Spaniard taken by Premier League side Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009.

With a £2 million deal agreed, there was an expectation that the forward would continue his incredible pedigree in front of goal in the top flight, but that step up with the Latics proved to be a difficult obstacle to overcome.

From playing in a free-flowing Swansea side looking to reach the play-offs, Scotland was now involved in a relegation battle with Athletic, and failed to make an impact in the north west.

Having to wait until late September to get a first start for his new club wouldn’t have helped matters for the incoming forward, and that very much set the tone for the remainder of the campaign, as he played second fiddle to the likes of Hugo Rodallega up top.

The 30-year-old cut a frustrated figure in the final third, with his ability to carve a chance out of nothing when in the EFL suddenly deserting him in the top flight, as the Latics continued to struggle throughout the campaign.

By the end of a troublesome 12 months, Scotland has just one Premier League goal to his name - with his solitary effort coming in a 2-1 defeat to Fulham in April - with things never clicking into gear during his time at the DW Stadium.

A reported £1 million move to Ipswich Town came that summer, where he could finally get back to scoring goals at Championship level once again, while Wigan were left trying to cut their losses after a transfer gone wrong.

While you can’t fault Scotland for trying his hand in the top flight, the memory of him rampaging past, and occasionally through, Championship defenders is the standout memory from his playing days, with those two seasons at the Swans putting him down in Liberty Stadium folklore.