Daniel James has bid an emotional farewell to Swansea City saying the club and their fans 'will always have a special place in his heart' after completing his move to Premier League giants Manchester United.
The 21-year-old finally rubber-stamped his transfer from the Liberty Stadium to Old Trafford for a fee believed to be worth a total of around £18m after an outstanding breakthrough season in the Championship.
James' searing pace tempted United to hand the Welsh international a five-year deal.
And though James is no longer a Swansea player, he admits he'll be cheering on his former club from afar.
"I can only say thank you to everyone at the club who has helped me develop over the last five years with Swansea," James told the Swansea City website.
"Everyone has been a massive help in making me the player I am now. Obviously, I move on to a new chapter now, but Swansea will always have a special place in my heart.
"It is somewhere I will always love. I wish all the players, staff and fans all the very best for the future.
"I will still be keeping an eye out on how the lads are doing, and I will be checking their results to see how they are getting on.
"I definitely don't see it as though Swansea is now out of my life, far from it. I have made great friends there and I will be a big Swansea fan for the rest of my life.
"It is a proper family club, everyone is in it together, and that includes the fans too.
"They were right behind me all the way, no matter what happened. I just have to thank them for being behind me and I hope I was able to show them how much it mattered to me to play well when I pulled on the Swansea shirt.
"They have been amazing towards me and the players, and I hope they have plenty of reasons to cheer moving forward."
And among the cherished moments for James during his Swansea stay, one stands out.
"I had some moments I will always cherish. Scoring on my debut was fantastic for me, and the goal at Stoke was great, but that goal against Brentford in the FA Cup was really special. That felt like something else," he added.
"It almost took me back to when I was playing as a kid, running up the pitch and scoring, which is not something you get often in senior football.
"That definitely sticks out, and playing against Manchester City was big as well, being able to show how we could play against a team of that calibre.
"Whatever happens in my career in the future, I will always be so grateful - and have fond, fond memories - of my time with Swansea City."
