Brendan Rodgers insists that Darren Pratley deserves a good reception on his return to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday
Pratley will return to Swansea with his new club – Bolton Wanderers – three points behind his former employers as the Premier League table passes the first quarter mark.
Having left the Liberty on the expiry of his contract last summer Pratley went onto sign for Bolton on a free and this weekend should line up against the side he helped take into the Premier League.
And whilst there is bound to be some jeers for Pratley, Rodgers says he deserves better as he explained to the Western Mailย โDarren left the club with his head held high.
โHe came through the divisions, was an important part of the League One success and was a big and integral part of my story here so far.
โIโm sure he will get a good round of applause on Saturday and it will be good to see him.
โHe was a terrific servant to Swansea and gave his all. Last year was frustrating for him, but the story ended well.
โHe did great for me. He was a good lad who loves and lives his life for football.
โHe was a good trainer, wanted to improve and scored goals and heโll look back on the season where he got his best return of goals.
โI adapted the system in the second half of the season to benefit the team.
โIt worked, but Darren was the casualty. He was the one who at times had to sit out when he felt he should have been playing. He never got down. We communicated a lot and he understood my position.
โI would have liked to have kept Darren,โ admitted Rodgers.
โBut I understood the clubโs position a year ago. Whenever a player has a year left on his contract it is always difficult for Swansea because of the financialย state of the club to commit longer term and rub out the existing contract.
โIf you ask most players who go through that scenario I donโt think they would do it again.
โNo matter how mentally tough and strong you are, youโre in a vulnerable position.
โDarren had great integrity here as a player. But when youโre in the last year of your contract and you donโt sign, then that can be called into question because people wonder are you looking elsewhere.
โBut I never felt that with Darren. He would have signed a deal last summer when I came in. We felt we had an agreement but for whatever reason it dragged on and got to a point when it was beginning to affect him.
โWe had an agreement that weโd concentrate on the football. It was the best thing for him.โ