Gary Monk

Well done Monk, I can't see much playing time for him this season with him dropping further down the pecking order and another year older but he will play a part I'm sure.I wonder will this end the speculation of Ash leaving as I'm sure Monk would have discussed this with the manger before making this announcement.

Sport Football Football News Garry Monk
By Chris Wathan Comments
Garry Monk reveals agonising decision to hand Swansea City captaincy to Ashley Williams
15 Jul 2013 06:06
Monk captained club to four promotions en route to Premier League - but has now handed the captaincy to regular matchday skipper Williams on a permanent basis

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Garry Monk has handed over the Swansea City captaincy to Ashley Williams
Garry Monk has revealed he is stepping aside as Swansea City skipper – to hand the armband to Ashley Williams.

Monk, the man who captained the club to all four promotions on the way to the Premier League, has admitted he has agonised over a decision to let Williams skipper the side on a permanent basis.

But he claimed the time was right to make the classy call during the Swans’ pre-season tour of the Netherlands, wrapped up on Saturday with a 1-0 win over ADO Den Haag.

Yet, while Monk will stand aside for Williams to take up the matchday duties, the 34-year-old has insisted he won’t give up on his role as club captain – and is not about to give up on his first-team hopes either.

Monk has become the third man at centre-half over the past two seasons, most recently seeing Chico Flores establish himself as first choice next to Williams.

But, despite looking like he was set for the exit door early last season under Michael Laudrup, he bounced back to play another key role in the Premier League campaign.

Williams, 29, has skippered the side in Monk’s absence but now the former Southampton scholar says the time is right for it to happen every week regardless of his own presence.

Yet, having fought to prove his worth under Laudrup, it is clear the popular defender is determined to underline his value once more as the Swans prepare for campaigns both at home and in Europe this year.

“I can only speak from my point of view and my view is that Ash has been consistent for the last couple of years and I haven’t been a regular,” said Monk, who made 15 appearances last year.

“Even though I have been involved a lot and played my fair share of games, I just feel that with Ash being there consistently and leading the team out when I’m not on the pitch to have that continuity is the right thing.

“And I’m more than happy for it to be the case even if I am playing because it feels right for me. As club captain I will still have responsibility and I will carry out my duties off the pitch. And when I am playing I will be a leader – I think the lads see that anyway.

“But personally I feel the captain on the pitch should be one person and Ash has been there consistently.

“It’s been an honour to have the armband and that will never change, but I spoke to my missus and my family about it over the summer because it was something that had been bothering me.

“I am not about to give up on anything or any of my duties at the club or the community, but to wear the armband ... I feel it is the right thing to have someone doing that consistently.”

Monk, signed by Kenny Jackett in 2004, was a stand-in skipper himself during his first season at the club, taking the armband in Roberto Martinez’s playing absence.

And it was from that role he led the club to League Two promotion before being installed as club captain on Martinez’s departure the following year.

He has held the position despite losing his automatic spot under Brendan Rodgers and then Laudrup, the Dane backing his status as skipper despite placing question marks over his future in the first few months of his tenure.

And he collected the League Cup trophy alongside Williams when Swansea made history at Wembley last season by beating Bradford in the Capital One Cup final.

Monk has come under no pressure to change that status quo – but now wants to press home his point that he can start alongside the man he has offered the armband to.

Laudrup has recruited Jordi Amat as the fourth centre-back for the season having told Alan Tate to find a new club and okayed Kyle Bartley’s loan move to Birmingham.

And Monk said: “I want to play every week and that determination will never change. I still feel good, I feel sharp and I feel I am doing all right in training and in the games and I will never give up fighting for that shirt until the day when I feel physically I can’t continue.

“I think if I look after myself barring an injury I have still got a lot to offer. A lot of people have written me off in terms of Premier League standards but I think I’ve proved I can still do it in the games that I have played.”

“I told Wayne Routledge as we left the pitch on Saturday I will compete until the bitter end because I miss playing every week.”

 

An end of an era at the club, I know effectively Ash was captain for the last few years but Monk has always been there. I can see this as his last playing season, he will take a coaching role I believe from next season (2014/5)

 

Agree with the above sentiments and glad to see he is staying on as club captain and will do well on the coaching side of things in the future. I can easily see him being part of the management set up at the club in the future very much like Pascoe was.
Of course the other good news is that this must mean Ash is staying. I am sure if Ash had any doubts about staying over the next fortnight he would have said something to both ML and Monk, even if it was to just delaying any announcements of captaincy to the media/public.
I think I may have to start referring to Mondays as Good News Mondays from now on!!

 

Sad news as he has been an institution and a great captain. However what's the difference between captain and club captain? It all sounds very confusing to me!

 

I think the club captain in this case will be more honourable than anything, so the stuff off the pitch. And as our vice captain Tate is going, who is going to fill that role for us?

 

Surely Leon to fill Vice Captain Jager!

 

It proves monk is total class for me, putting the team before his own ego only puts him higher up in my estimation of him.

He needs to be kept on after his playing days and I think laudrup mentioned something earlier in The year when monk had a new deal,looks like he will be at the club for years and that is a fitting reward for him I think

 

I don't understand why it is his decision to make.

 

Agreed Norway. Monk should be a part of Swansea City's future. He is a great ambassador and role model.

 

Don't think leon will play much this season myself. he is coming close to the end of top football now and it won't surprise me to see him moved on next season. laudrup dropped him to the bench a few times last season and if he did play he was subbed....he has been a great servant but everything finally comes to an end. He still has a few years left in him playing football but the premiership is coming to an end..

 

"I don't understand why it is his decision to make".

Face saving exercise maybe?

Perhaps a decision has been made to remove the captaincy from him, and he was given the opportunity to give it up rather than have it taken away.

 

Why not, until he's told he's not part of this years squad ( I'd assume he is as he went to Holland) then he's still available to play

 

I think he'll still play his part this season Dai, we've got a lot of games to play with all the competitions and with all the midfielders vying for places with Leon it'll make for an even more competitive squad with plenty of scope for rotation. I remember about 3 seasons ago friends of mine were writing him off saying he was already past it and look how wrong he proved them. I hope he'll continue to play to his current standards and enjoy a few more seasons with us!

 

Both Monk and Britton will end up as coaches at the club after their playing days.

 

Apparently Monk will be loaned out to another club for this season, there are 2 championship clubs and 1 Div 1 club in the frame. Yeovil and Doncaster and Wolves

 

It is obvious that he isn't going to get many games here so its no great surprise that he has given it up, its a very graceful thing to do IMO. It also makes things easier for Laudrup which shows a bit of class from monk, along with britton,tate and rangel he has been a corner stone of our club for many years and while the club cant offer jobs to every past player there should be the odd exception.

I believe Gary will be kept at the club betond his playing days while that will not be possible for perhaps tate and the others.

We cant give everyone a job but I think monk has shown exceptional leadership qualities that make him a prime candidate as a head of development or something similar, its with a touch of sadness that we see the old guard being slowly moved on from the 1st team but it is a well rewarded career and im glad these boys are going out at the top of their profession unlike the likes of freestone and others who never reached great heights but still felt the same amount of passion for the club.

I didn't like what jacket did with freestone and I think the present board are acutely aware that giving a bit back to certain players is fit and proper, its why IMO monk was given a contract extension and so was tate, I think the same will happen to rangel and britton though not everyone will move into the backroom afterwards.

I think Monk has been ultra professional since the usa trip where tounges were wagging RE Laudrups methods, he went from having no part to fighting back into the first team picture and that is credit to him for getting his head down.

Laudrup knows his politics and I think he understands that keeping some of the old guard around will make things easier for him in one way, he has moved a lot of the old guard on almost silently but I think he has also done it respectfully and honestly, it may well be a pointer to how monk will be selected this season,im guessing he will start as a 4th choice, .

 

nothing much has changed, monk is still the overall club skipper and he use to hand over the team captain's job to ash if he was not playing, if he did play or come on as sub then he automatically took over as captain. what monk has recognized is that he wont get many games and if he is selected then he wants ash to keep the armband regardless if he plays or not.....but monk stays as the clubs captain......there is no mention of vice captain as at the moment that is still tates job...