Latest Sports News

EXCL: Former Brighton & Hove Albion defender George Cox on his return to England and start to life with Swindon Town

Brighton-born defender George Cox came through the ranks at his local, boyhood club Brighton & Hove Albion, progressing through the youth ranks all the way up to Under-23 level.

After undergoing heart surgery that nearly ended his career, Cox has had quite the footballing journey.

The now 26-year-old never made a senior appearance for the Seagulls, despite at one stage being touted as the next big thing on the South Coast. Instead, the left back moved abroad; signing for Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands, Eredivisie, initially on loan, before the switch was made permanent in 2020.

Cox’s first permanent stint with Fortuna Sittard was his best, scoring five and assisting four in the Eredivisie he proved exactly why the Dutch club signed him and showcased the talent that so many had hoped would be unleashed in the Brighton first team.

However, when Sjors Ultee left Fortuna and Julio Velaquez became the new manager, Cox never quite hit the same heights and a result he signed for FC Volendam last season, before returning to England this summer where he has settled in really well at Swindon Town…

“It (settling in) has been really easy. Obviously, as an English boy and only being two hours from my home town, it’s been really easy – a lot easier than probably what I’ve had in the last five years. So yeah, settling in has been no problem!”

While the Robins have had a tough start to their Sky Bet League Two campaign, with jsut two wins from their opening 11 league matches, Cox has not.

The left back has been given the freedom under Mark Kennedy to bomb forward and play almost as a winger at times, flourishing in his left-wing back role in Kennedy’s 3-5-2 system the Sussex boy has already registered three goal involvements for Swindon in just six starts for the Wiltshire outfit.

Cox’s most notable performance so far came in their 2-3 victory away at local rivals Cheltenham Town last Saturday, where he opened the scoring with his first goal in English senior football, before turning provider two minutes later with a fantastic free-kick, which he put on a plate for teammate: Will Wright, to crash home from close range.

The attacking role that Cox is thriving in now at Swindon is reminiscent of his role in the Brighton U-23 side where he used to get forward and provide several chances for the likes of Aaron Connolly and Viktor Gyokeres.

“That is my best position (left-wing back) when I’m in the right team, and to be honest how we play here is perfect for me!

“I’m really enjoying my football, in a team that plays to my strengths – something that probably hasn’t been the case for the last few years”.

The victory over Cheltenham was a vital one for Swindon, not only because it was a derby match but also in terms of the league table.

Before the game they sat two points behind Michael Flynn’s Cheltenham side, and only just above the relegation zone.

However, the three points now means they sit 18th in Sky Bet League Two, four points clear of the drop and are now unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions.

“I think it was really important, especially because it’s a derby it gets the fans even more on our side and they were here in big numbers today, so yeah I think it was a perfect day for us today.

“It was a nice feeling (to score). It has actually been a while since I last scored, my little girl turned two-years-old the other day and I actually hadn’t scored since she’s been born!

“Hopefully now I can kick on and get a few more.”

Check out my Twitter: https://x.com/paddyg18_

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *