Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swansea City midfielder has been moved into a holding position this season – following in the footsteps of Claude Makele who also made the transition from winger to midfielder.
“Not many people realise that Makelele was a winger until he was 26,” Rodgers told the Western Mail
“Everyone thinks he played that role in front of the back four all his life, but he only transferred there later in his career.
“And I told this to Mark because he has a wonderful football brain and knows the game.
“He’s someone who works hard every day but also someone with great intelligence about the game. He’s getting to an age where he can play that role because he understands what we’re trying to do.
“He’s got a great tenacity, which is important,” said Rodgers. “But it his range of passing that allows us to get other players, our wide players, higher up the pitch to give us that offensive threat and make sure we create things.”
Gower himself is loving his new position having feared for his own place in the side with the competition now fierce for wide places
“It’s something I’m enjoying,” admitted Gower, a free signing from Southend two years ago.
“The manager asked me to play somewhere a bit different and told me about Makelele doing the same.
“I found that amazing because you would have thought he played that role all his life.
“You do have times when you instinctively want to go forward, but I have lads like Garry Monk and Ashley Williams who are good talkers.
“If they see me edging forwards they let me know about it. But I’m getting used to it, enjoying it, and in the last few games I feel as if I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. I’ve kept the ball for the team and occasionally hit the long pass and it is coming off well for me. Hopefully I can carry it on.
“In my head I was wondering if I was going to play because we have Nathan Dyer, David Cotterill, Cedric van der Gun and Tommy Butler all in there before Scott Sinclair signed later on,” the Londoner said.
“I’m getting on a bit so I was wondering how much game time I might get. But this opportunity has come along and I’ve tried to take it.”
