Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swansea City winger will take his place against Cardiff City tomorrow knowing just what it is like to play in the intense atmosphere of a South Wales derby.
Dyer scored the first goal the last time Cardiff were at the Liberty and he has likened the two sides to the Spanish giants who are bitter rivals.
“The team ethic and closeness is a really big thing here,” he told the Evening Post.
“We play the best football in the league and I’m pleased that we do.
“Sometimes Swansea don’t get seen as a big club, but we’ve made massive strides and we continue to impress.
“We’ve made a lot of people sit up and say we are a good team.
“We are a close-knit family. I don’t know whether that comes from being in a city like Swansea, but we know each other well and it works well.
“Cardiff are a really big side and they have great players who play well together.
“The fact is teams operate in different ways — you’ve only got to look at some of the biggest sides in the world.
“You look at Barcelona and Real Madrid — Barcelona are a real team while Real Madrid have a lot of good individuals, but Madrid still play good football.
“It’s the same as Cardiff. They still play good football and are a very good side.
“I’m not saying we are as good as Barca and Real, but our styles and beliefs are very similar.
“When I first came here people were telling me how big it was, but you don’t realise until you’ve played in a few of the derbies,” he added. “You speak to the fans and you understand how much it means to them — that’s why we really fight for the fans against Cardiff.
“Because of the hype around the game you go into it really fired up.
“I found that out when I first came to Swansea and we played at Ninian Park, it was quite hectic.
“But I understand everything that is associated with this game now and we are all desperate to claim a derby double over them.
“To do that would be such achievement for the players and give the fans and the city huge bragging rights.”
