Huw Jenkins had perfect response to Swansea City decision that left him "very disappointed": View | OneFootball

Huw Jenkins appointed Roberto Martinez after Kenny Jackett's resignation in 2007

Between 2003 and 2011, Swansea enjoyed a meteoric rise which saw them win promotion three times to go from the bottom of the Football League to reach the Premier League, and two men in particular played a key role in that.

Swansea famously beat Hull City 4-2 on the final day of the 2002/03 season to avoid relegation to non-league, and that set the tone for a journey that would seem far-fetched for a Hollywood film.

Brian Flynn, who had kept the Swans in the Football League during the 2002/03 season, left during the following campaign and was replaced by Kenny Jackett, and that's where the journey really began for Swansea.

He spent just under three years in South Wales, resigning in February 2007 after leading them to League One, but Chairman Huw Jenkins made a brave call that ultimately gave the club the identity and foundations to reach the Premier League.

Jackett had managed to get Swansea out of League Two and turn them into a competitive League One side who were just one game away from promotion to the Championship in 2006, and while his departure was a blow, the club didn't let it stop their trajectory up the leagues.

Kenny Jackett's resignation was a huge blow to Huw Jenkins and Swansea City

In his two full seasons in south Wales, Jackett led the club to promotion from League Two, before winning the Football League Trophy and reaching the League One play-off final in his second season, so he certainly did an excellent job for the club, but he decided to resign in February 2007.

After a 1-0 home defeat to Oldham Athletic saw them fall out of the League One play-off places, Jackett resigned, citing criticism from both supporters and the press as the reason why he couldn't continue.

Swansea Chairman Jenkins was disappointed with Jackett's decision to resign after what he did for the club, telling BBC Sport: "I was very surprised when I received a call from Kenny on Wednesday, and I'm very disappointed with how things have worked out."

"He was upset. He's thought things over and felt the criticism against him was difficult to take.

"He didn't know where to go from here - whichever way he moved forward, he felt it was only a matter of time before the criticism from the supporters or the press would get on to him again.

"He felt for the sake of the club and himself that a parting of the ways was the best thing to do at this time."

Jackett's involvement in Swansea's rise to the Premier League is often forgotten about, but it's clear from the results he had at the club, coupled with Jenkins' frustration when he left, that he was so important to laying the foundations for their rise through the divisions.

While Jackett leaving was a huge blow, Jenkins had the perfect response to the disappointment, and he appointed former player Roberto Martinez in what was the Spaniard's first job in management.

It was certainly a risk, appointing an unproven Spaniard in League One, but it was one that certainly paid off for Swansea.

Huw Jenkins had the perfect response after Kenny Jackett's resignation

Martinez was appointed Swansea boss in February 2007 and it proved a fantastic call by both Jenkins and the Swansea board as they lost just once in their remaining 11 games, giving them a chance of sneaking into the play-offs on the final day of the season, but a 6-3 defeat to Blackpool put an end to that.

However, in his first full season in charge, Martinez's Swansea team won the League One title, playing a style of football that had rarely been seen in the lower leagues of English football at the time, with a posession-based, passing game seeing them enjoy a hugely successful season.

The Spaniard was also crowned the League One Manager of the Season, and it was clear that Martinez was a young coach who was going to go to the top of the game, and in the 16 years that have followed that's certainly proved to be the case.

The 2008/09 Championship season was the first time that Swansea had been in the second tier of English football for 24 years, highlighting their struggles prior to the likes of Jackett and Martinez took charge, and the Swans enjoyed a successful first season in the Championship.

Martinez led Swansea to an 8th-place finish, missing out on the play-offs by six points, a very respectable return given their status as a newly-promoted club.

They also impressed in the FA Cup, and they defeated Premier League side and holders Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park, before taking fellow Premier League side Fulham to a replay where they were unlucky to be knocked out.

These fixtures really made people sit up and take notice of Swansea and Martinez was proving to be a breath of fresh air in English football management.

The increased attention ultimately led to Martinez's departure, with Celtic and Premier League side Wigan Athletic keen on a move for him, and the Spaniard left Swansea in the summer of 2009, joining Wigan.

It was a heartbreaking move, which some of the Jack Army haven't forgiven him for, but the chance to manage a Premier League club in what was just his third full season of management was too good to turn down for Martinez.

However, Martinez's success with Swansea, and the jobs he's had since, show that Jenkins had the perfect response to Jackett's resignation in 2007, and the pair played hugely important roles in the club's journey to the Premier League, which shouldn't be forgotten in a hurry.