Thomas: David Gwyn (Gwyn)

1975-1984 (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Swansea: 26-09-1957

Debut v Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) (Substitute): 26-04-1975

5’8” 11st (1982)

Thomas won Welsh Schoolboy honours before joining Leeds on professional forms in July 1975, after serving his apprenticeship and he later was honoured at Youth level before gaining three Under-Twenty-one caps. He was a prolific goalscorer at Junior and Reserve level before being converted to a hustling midfielder. After his conversion to a midfield player he earned a full international call-up but was injured prior to the game and had to pull out. He played very few games in his first seven seasons at Elland Road and had to be content with Reserve team football until United’s long serving midfield men were gone. He finally started getting a regular place in United’s relegation season and then played thirty-nine games in the League during the club’s first season in the Second Division. In his final season with Leeds he played right-back, inside left and on both wings as United struggled. In March 1984 he was sold to Barnsley for £40,000 and became a permanent fixture in their midfield until he broke his leg in 1989. Thomas fought back from that injury and joined Hull City in March 1990 for £25,000. He appeared in two hundred and one League games for Barnsley, of which four were from the bench and scored seventeen goals. He also scored two more goals in the FA Cup and twenty-nine more appearances in the Cup and other competitions. With Hull he started twenty-one games in the League and was a substitute once, as well as playing one League Cup game, but did not score for the Tigers. In August 1991 he moved to Carlisle United, his final League club, and made thirty-five starts and two appearances from the bench and scored once in League matches. He made seven further appearances in Cup and other competitions without scoring. He lived in Leeds from 1984 onwards and after retiring from football at the end of the 1991-92 season he was employed by a Fruit and Vegetable Company as a Warehouse Manager.