By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post

Lee Trundle will be at the Liberty Stadium wearing a black and white scarf tonight wishing he was running out in Swansea City colours.

The former Liberty talisman will be just another fan in the crowd when Swansea take on Cardiff City in the first meaningful South Wales derby since 1999.

And Trundle admits he will be green with envy as he watches Roberto Martinez's current crop take on their biggest rivals.

"I haven't been able to watch Swansea as yet this season because our fixtures tend to clash now that we're in the same division," says Trundle, who left for Bristol City 14 months ago.

"But I'm coming down for the derby and I'm really looking forward to it.

"I will be wearing my black and white scarf and supporting the Swansea lads.

"It's a massive game, and I'll be itching up in the stands because it's one of the fixtures I really wanted to play in during my career."

Trundle knows all about the antagonism between Swansea and Cardiff having spent four memorable seasons in these parts.

The Scouse striker was the most influential player in Swansea's rise from Conference relegation candidates to League One promotion contenders.

He left last year after the Robins weighed in with a £1million bid and Trundle, who will be 32 next month, grabbed what he felt could be his last chance to play in the Championship.

With Swansea now in the second tier, that decision has proved questionable.

And it has also robbed Trundle of the chance to feature against Cardiff.

Unless he makes an unlikely return to Swansea, Trundle will be remembered in the history of the rivalry as the player who, along with Alan Tate, held up that flag at the Millennium Stadium and not for any goalscoring feats against the Bluebirds.

"I'm gutted that I won't be playing," he adds.

"I have spoken to a few of the lads at Swansea and I know they've been really looking forward to the game.

"They can't wait, especially the British boys who know it's one of the biggest rivalries around.

"I've got to admit I'll be feeling pretty jealous when they come out on to the pitch, but it will be nice just being there and seeing what it's like.

"I've heard so much about the games in the past that I want to experience it.

"Playing in the game would have been unbelievable, but I'm looking forward to being at the Liberty and sampling the atmosphere, because it should be fantastic."

Sadly, Trundle has become used to watching games of late having falling down the pecking order at Ashton Gate.

He scored a brilliant goal after coming off the bench against Birmingham a week ago, his first strike of the season in his first league appearance.

But the following evening Trundle was in Port Talbot playing for Gary Johnson's reserve team against Swansea in front of barely 100 people.

It was a sorry sight, watching a player so gifted wasting his time playing second-string football at a relatively late stage in his career.

"Obviously I'm a bit down because I'm not in the side at the moment," he says.

"I enjoy playing football and I love matchdays. That's when I'm at my happiest and it is a bit hard at the moment.

"It was nice to get a goal last week and give myself a bit of confidence, but I don't know whether I'm going to be in the first team any time soon.

"That's out of my hands. All I can do is keep training hard and playing in the reserves and hope I get a chance."

It does not take a genius to work out that Trundle may regret ever leaving Swansea.

Popular as it would be with fans, a return looks improbable, so the former Wrexham man's best hope of playing at the Liberty again is when his current club visit in early December.

"I hope I'll be involved then because, as I've said before, I never got the chance to say a proper goodbye and it would be nice to see the Swans fans in a first-team game again," he says.

For now Trundle is left watching on from afar — tonight aside, of course — and has been impressed with Swansea's start to life in the second tier.

"I knew they would do well. People have asked me if I think Swansea will go down and I've told them there's no chance," he goes on.

"They are a good footballing side with a lot of players who should have been playing Championship football a long time ago.

"They have a good management team, too, and I can see them doing well throughout the season.

"I'm pleased to see them having success because I've never hidden the fact that I'm still a Swansea fan."

One who, like the rest, will be keeping his fingers crossed for a home win in this evening's Carling Cup tie.

And Trundle is in confident mood, declaring: "I think Roberto will play his first team because he knows all about the rivalry and he knows the fans will demand it. It will be a tight game, but I think Swansea will win 2-1."