In the space of two seasons, Alfie Mawson went from being a League One player to a £20 million asset, and it's fair to say that the best spell of his career came at Swansea City.
Swansea brought Mawson in during the summer of 2016 from Barnsley following Ashley Williams' departure for Everto and while he was an unknown quantity, it didn't take too long for people to take notice of his potential.
Despite playing in a Swansea side that struggled towards the lower echelons of the Premier League table and were ultimately relegated in Mawson's second season, he performed admirably, earning a move back to the top flight immediately.
However, the spell at Swansea was as good as things got for the central defender and he was forced to retire last year at the age of just 28.
Swansea City will feel bittersweet about Alfie Mawson's £20m transfer deal
Alfie Mawson-1
Mawson joined Swansea for just £5 million from Barnsley in the summer of 2016 after helping the Tykes win promotion to the Championship and it became clear that he was a player who would make the Swans big money.
It took a little while for him to break into the Swans' starting XI, making his first Premier League start in October 2016, and from there he became a mainstay in their starting side.
Mawson's contributions went beyond just defending as well. He bagged four league goals across a two-month period, helping Swansea to win three of the games he scored in and pull away from the relegation zone.
The Swans finished 15th that season, just seven points from the relegation zone, and had it not been for Mawson, they could well have been in big trouble.
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The following season saw the Swans relegated, and while plenty of players weren't at their best, Mawson certainly was. He played all 38 league games, earning a call-up to the England squad for friendlies in March 2018.
With that in mind, it was no surprise when he joined Fulham in a deal worth up to £20 million, with Mawson looking like someone who'd be a Premier League regular and international player for years to come.
Swansea would have loved to have kept Mawson but it just wasn't feasible given his performances the previous season and the eight-figure fee they received for him went some way to keeping the club financially stable after being relegated from the top flight.
However, what has happened after leaving Swansea will have saddened supporters as he never fulfilled his potential at Fulham.
Alfie Mawson had a torrid time with injuries after leaving Swansea City
Alfie Mawson 1-1
Mawson's move to Fulham should have seen him enhance his reputation even further and ultimately become a regular in the England squad but injuries meant he barely played for the Cottagers.
He played just 15 games during his first season at Craven Cottage after a recurring knee injury and was unable to help keep his side in the Premier League, suffering another relegation to the Championship.
The 2019/20 campaign proved more fruitful before injury struck again, keeping Mawson out from January until the end of the season, and he was shipped out on loan to Bristol City the following season.
Mawson did return to Fulham for the 2021/22 season, but managed just eight games in all competitions, taking his tally to 52 appearances for the club in his four seasons, before being released in the summer of 2022.
|Alfie Mawson's career after leaving Swansea City - Transfermarkt|
|Season|Club|Appearances|
|---|
|2018/19|Fulham|16|
|2019/20|Fulham|28|
|2020/21|Bristol City (Loan)|14|
|2021/22|Fulham|8|
|2022/23|Wycombe Wanderers|21|
He joined League One side Wycombe Wanderers as a free agent in August 2022, training just once a week with Gareth Ainsworth's side as he looked to remain fit, and it started well, playing every single game until Boxing Day.
However, yet another injury ruled him out and after a meeting with a knee surgeon in January 2023, Mawson was told to retire immediately at the age of 29.
When he left Swansea in 2018, the defender looked to have the world at his feet but less than five years later his career was over.
The £20 million Swansea received for Mawson was good business and much-needed but supporters will have been sad to see his career not reach the heights it should have.