Rod Thomas facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roderick John Thomas | ||
| Date of birth | 11 January 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Glynncorwg, Neath, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gloucester City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1963–1964 | Gloucester City | 10 | (3) |
| 1964–1973 | Swindon Town | 296 | (5) |
| 1973–1977 | Derby County | 89 | (2) |
| 1977–1981 | Cardiff City | 96 | (0) |
| 1981–1982 | Gloucester City | ? | (?) |
| 1982 | Newport County | 3 | (0) |
| 1982 | Bath City | 2 | (0) |
| 1982–1983 | Barry Town | ? | (?) |
| National team | |||
| 1967–1977 | Wales | 50 | (0) |
|
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Roderick John Thomas (born 11 January 1947) is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played as a defender and proudly represented Wales in international matches.
During his career, Rod Thomas played for several clubs. These included Gloucester City, Swindon Town, Derby County, and Cardiff City. He also had a second time playing for Gloucester and later joined Newport County.
Contents
Rod Thomas: A Football Journey
Starting Out at Swindon Town
Rod Thomas joined Swindon Town in July 1964. He was still a young player when manager Bert Head brought him to the club. Rod came from non-league Gloucester City. It took almost two years for him to play his first game. This happened in a match against Scunthorpe at the end of the 1965–66 season.
Becoming a Top Defender
In the next season, Rod Thomas became Swindon Town's main right-back. He also started playing for his country. He was chosen for the Welsh under-23 team. Many people thought he was one of the best defenders outside the top division.
Rod made his first full international appearance for Wales in 1967. This was in a 0–0 draw against Northern Ireland. He played in 50 matches for Wales in total. He holds the record for the most international games played by a Swindon Town player.
Success with Swindon and Derby
Even though bigger clubs were interested, Rod stayed with Swindon for a long time. He played almost 300 games for the club. This included the exciting 1969 League Cup final. He left Swindon in 1973. By then, he had played in 30 matches for Wales while at Swindon.
He then moved to Derby County. His former manager, Dave Mackay, paid a lot of money to bring him there. At Derby, Rod was part of the team that won the First Division title in 1975. This was a huge achievement!
Later Career and Retirement
Rod left Derby in 1977 and joined Cardiff City. He played his first game for Cardiff in a 2–0 win against Stoke City. He spent four years at Cardiff, but injuries made it tough for him.
In 1981, he returned to Gloucester City. He also had short times playing for Newport County, Bath City, and Barry Town. Rod Thomas retired from football in 1982.
