Cymru South starlets join Swansea City academy
Corey Hurford (L) & Joe Thomas (R) have both joined Swansea City. (Image: Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
After impressing for their clubs in the Cymru South this season, Joe Thomas and Corey Hurford have linked up with Swansea City’s academy.
Thomas, 19, joins the Swans from Cambrian & Clydach and will be available for Swansea’s under-23 side, whilst Hurford, 17, joins from Briton Ferry Llansawel and will be available for the Swans’ under-23 and under-18 sides.
Hurford joined Briton Ferry from Chippenham in the summer, and had quite the impact in his short spell with The Ferry, playing in 17 out of their 18 league games, and scoring five goals in the process.
Hurford is primarily an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a wing-back.
Joe Thomas, also a wing-back, has been part of Cambrian & Clydach’s academy since he was 12 years old. He leaves the Rhondda club with six assists to his name – the highest in the Cymru South. Thomas also helped his side’s cause with a hat-trick of goals in a 5-2 victory over Taffs Well in November.
Swansea fought off tough competition to sign Thomas after he was scouted by 13 Premier League and Football League clubs.
Both Hurford and Thomas have signed 18-month deals with the Swans, with options of a one-year extension.
They will both link up with another former Cymru South star in Leon Britton. Britton recently rejoined Swansea City as an academy mentor, after a brief spell playing for Ammanford.
There have now been four players in six months who have joined professional sides from the Cymru South, after JB Fischer joined Wycombe Wanderers from Swansea University, and Josh Esen joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Llanelli.
