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Steve JENKINS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A former Welsh international with sixteen caps, Jenkins was signed in October 2004, initially on a month's loan from Peterborough United after the shock sale of Andy Gurney to Swansea, and Paul Mitchell's recall to Wigan. Jenkins had previously had mixed fortunes against Swindon - being sent off against the Town twice in the 1999/2000 season (once for a tussle in a mid-season friendly with Iffy Onuora) - whereas in the month prior to joining the Town, he had scored the winner for Peterborough in a surprise 1-0 win at the County Ground - his first goal since last scoring for Huddersfield in November 2001. It didn't take him that long to open his Swindon account - after making his debut in a 3-3 draw with Torquay on 30th October, he netted in a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup just two weeks later. Manager Andy King soon made it clear that he wanted Jenkins on a permanent basis - and after Jenkins negotiated his release from Peterborough, he was able to join the Town on an 18-month deal in December. A freak back injury, sustained when Jenkins was lifting his young child out of a car seat, kept him out of some of the Christmas programme - around this time, he was also being utilised as a central midfielder - a position where he added some much needed bite. He soon slotted back into his usual position on the right side of defence, when Grant Smith broke into the first team, a position he made his own for the rest of the season, until a calf injury prevented him from featuring in the last two matches, handing an opportunity to youngster Kyle Lapham. Niggling injuries were also to prevent him from holding down a regular place the following season. Having started the season in a midfield role for the opening game at Barnsley, Jenkins missed the following two games with a calf injury, and though he returned to the starting line-up to score in a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth in September (Swindon's first away goal in 721 minutes of football), a thigh injury them sidelined him for another three weeks. He returned to feature throughout October and November, until he picked up his fifth booking during a game with Barnsley - Jack Smith then took the opportunity to occupy Jenkins' right-back spot for the rest of the year. Jenkins found himself in and out of the Town side for the rest of the season - when he did appear, more often than not it was on the right side of a back three, with manager Iffy Onuora trying out a wing-back formation in a desperate attempt to avoid relegation. Though the Town succumbed to the drop, Onuora offered Jenkins a year's extension to his contract, which he seemed set to sign. Unfortunately for Jenkins though, his new deal was scuppered when Onuora was sacked - and new manager Dennis Wise deemed him surplus to requirements. PLAYING RECORD:
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date of birth usual positions right back other positions right wing back central defence defensive central midfield youth career senior career |