'Curt - The Alan Curtis Story'

Written by Tim Johnson and Stuart Sprake and published by Mainstream.

Alan Curtis is synonymous with Swansea City. In fact, he’s simply known around the club as ‘The Legend’.

The Welsh international not only played for the club over three different spells, but he has also held virtually every footballing position possible off the field from Football in the Community officer to youth team coach, first team caretaker manager and current coach.

He won 35 caps for his country and also had spells at Leeds United, Southampton and Cardiff City in a career that spanned two decades.

Curt experienced the highs of the game at the top level with the Swans during their meteoric rise through all four divisions to the top of the First, but only after he had experienced the lows as the Swans were forced to apply for re-election to the Football League in 1975.

In his colourful autobiography, Curt recounts the topsy-turvy turns his career has taken, including a disappointing spell at Leeds United in 1979-80 when a nasty clash with Peter Shilton left him sidelined for nine months.

Determined to prove his critics wrong and overcome his injury, he played some of his best football of his career on his return to the Vetch Field before moving to Southampton in 1983 to help the club challenge the Merseyside dominance of English football at that time.

Since his playing career wound down in 1990, Curt has remained in the game as a coach with both the Swans and Wales, giving back to the game his wisdom and experience gained during his years as a player.

In the book, the Rhondda product reflects on his colourful career, highlighting how the beautiful game has changed since his playing days and explains why he’s living proof that nice guys don’t always finish second.

As former Swans boss and current Wales manager John Toshack was quick to point out: “Whenever Swansea City fans get together to discuss their best ever team, the name of Alan Curtis will always be up there with the best of them. I had the good fortune to be his manager and to play up front with him at both club and international level to witness at first hand his silky skills.’’