Britton Fights On

Life on the substitutes bench is never easy but Swans midfielder and 2002/3 player of the year Leon Britton has vowed to fight to win his place back in the starting eleven.

Performances like he had in the fifteen minute appearance against Kidderminster last weekend will help him get that place. It was clear from that 15 minute cameo that Leon wanted his place back, covering nearly every blade of grass on the pitch during that time as well as setting up the 3rd goal of the afternoon for Paul Connor to put the seal on the Swans victory.

The midfielder, 22 today, was bought to the Vetch by Brian Flynn at the height of the relegation battle in 2002/3 and celebrated his first goal in a Swansea shirt a year ago tonight against Macclesfield. However, in recent weeks he has been relegated to the bench in a period where the Swans have collected 3 wins from 4 games.

Talking in tonight’s South Wales Evening Post, Leon said ”I suppose I had a point to prove last week,’ ”I have been a substitute for the past four games and it is difficult to show anything in 15 or 20 minutes. But you have to do what you can and try to show the gaffer you are worth a place in the team. ”I willing to fight tooth an nail to get back in the side and also show that I can stay there. It is difficult as a substitute but hopefully I have done enough to impress.’

”It’s the first time it has happened in my short professional career, but it’s about how I react to it. I can’t sit there and start sulking and not train properly. ”I have got to go out and in the time I have on the pitch show the gaffer what I am capable of.

“I don’t want to be sitting on the bench for too long.”

And with performances like we saw last weekend from him, it is doubtful that he will be doing that although there were good performances all round. Jackett is expected to name an unchanged midfield for the trip to Wycombe on Saturday meaning that the bench may have to be warmed for just a little but longer but a Leon Britton raring to go can only be bad news for League Two defenders?