Rodgers Keen To Get Dorus On A New Contract

The Swansea City goalkeeper produced another man of the match display on Friday night against Millwall and is now ranked clearly as one of the very best keepers outside of the Premier League.

But with his contract up this summer, Rodgers is turning his attention to extending his stay at the Liberty highlighting the importance of the goalkeeper to his promotion hopes.

“Since I came here, everyone has talked to me about the importance of getting a striker into this club,” Rodgers told the Western Mail.

“But I think our biggest signing would be to sign Dorus again. That is as important, if not more important, than getting a new striker.

“For me, he is the best goalkeeper in this league and we were very thankful to him on Friday because he made some wonderful saves.

“But it’s more than that. He gives great balance to the team when he’s got the ball; when we’re in possession it’s like having 11 outfield players, not 10 and a keeper. He’s like a centre-half and a ball-playing one at that – his lines of passing are superb.

“Yet when he has to make saves he makes match-winning ones. He is outstanding and the best keeper in this league with or without the ball – and you can see why I’m pushing to get him a new contract here.

“It’s been something we’ve been talking about for a little while because I think it’s absolutely vital we keep him for the next three or four years,” said Rodgers.

“I’m not aware where things stand with negotiations at the moment; I like to instigate talks with the player, get things up and running and then it’s down to the chairman and the board to finalise things.

“But he is a player we want to keep. He knows the game, he’s a wonderful pro, very low maintenance and I love working with him. He knows exactly what we do as a team and he is vital for us going forward for the next few years.

“He has the platform here to demonstrate his skills. If he went to another football club we’d only see 50 or 60% of his talents because he’d just be kicking the ball all over the park.

“Here he gets a chance to express himself.”