Nathan Dyer says he can handle some of the more physical tactics of the Premier League
Dyer has got used, he says, over his career to some of the more physical tactics of the games and believes it comes with the territory of the way that he plays.
“It just comes with football, I’m a bit jinky and it’s what happens. I get caught now and again but I don’t take any notice of it, get back up and keep going.
“I think I got a few extra kicks after Cole was sent off but generally they were just trying to stop us progressing forward and we’d probably do the same if they were on the front foot. I don’t take it personally.
“I can handle it. From when I was younger I’ve always been kicked so it doesn’t really bother me too much.”
After last month’s victory over Arsenal, Arsene Wenger accused Dyer of a dive to win a penalty to bring the Swans back to level terms but Dyer added “Arsene Wenger is right to have his own opinion but that’s never been me and I’d never do that in my life
“Oh I love getting kicked,” he said, convincing no-one. “Defenders do try to kick you and make you scared. But if you keep coming back at them then they will start thinking, ‘No, hold on a minute, I can’t keep doing that.’
“You get kicked but you can’t be scared – you have to keep going at them until they give up.
“So, with the diving thing, if I can stay on my feet then obviously I will because you want to know you have the beating of your man and not for them to know they have got you.
“It’s the best feeling. The defender dives in and you get past them.”
And what of a potential England call up? “Once you start getting big-headed or thinking about things too much then that’s when it starts to go downhill. People start to forget what they were doing. My aim is to play at a consistent level, train hard every day and go out on a match-day to give my all.
“I don’t want to think about things that haven’t happened. It might not happen.
“If it happens then great. If not then I’ll still be playing well for Swansea.”