Huw Jenkins has said he feels he was made a scapegoat for many of the problems at Swansea City.
The former chairman – who stood down last weekend after 17 years in the role – believes his position made him an obvious target when the club slid towards relegation from the Premier League.
Jenkins walked away just two days after a fraught transfer deadline day for the Championship club during which three players left the Liberty Stadium and Daniel James came close to joining Leeds United.
His decision was quickly followed by a statement from the club that appeared to blame Jenkins for poor recruitment strategy.
“As chairman you do get made a scapegoat – somebody has to take responsibility – which I hope people will think I have done by doing what I did on Saturday [stepping down], but that’s football,” he said.
“There are two things: you are either a hero one day or a zero the next. That is the reality of modern day football, especially when you are fighting week in, week out to stay in the Premier League.”
Jenkins also told Sky Sports News he would ‘dread’ facing fans at the Liberty Stadium towards the end of his tenure.
He added he remains a fan of Swansea but will not be returning to their home for a long time because the decision to leave still hurts.
His decision comes after a reign which saw Swansea rise from the bottom of the Football League in 2003 to the Premier League eight years later, with a League Cup triumph at Wembley and European football the following season.
He added: “As much as I could put on a [brave] face and turn up every week, it’s not something I enjoyed.
“I used to dread every minute of that. I felt I had a responsibility to help the club through a difficult period and that’s what I tried to do.
“I will always be a supporter. You probably won’t see me at the Liberty Stadium for a long time because this decision and what’s gone on hurts me quite a bit and I’ve got to live with that.
“We all move on to other things eventually and I hope the club moves forward quickly, as I am sure it will.”
