 A tough player with a frame, he prided himself on his ability to out-muscle either his marker or the player he was marking (depending on the position he was playing), though as a result he was sent-off ten times in his career and was occasionally criticised for using foul play.His 'no nonsense' approach was criticised by footballing purists such as Dario Gradi, as Swan's 'crunching tackles' could cause injuries to opposition players.Though he secretly played a game for Rothwell Town in 1988, he played amateur football for the first time since childhood with pub side New Wheel in 2000, and broke his nose in a game for the club.