Stephen Welsh has revealed he is aiming to test himself after leaving Celtic…
The boyhood Hoops supporter left the club he spent his career at this summer window, after the club decided to cancel his final year on his last contract, meaning he could leave for free…
Swansea City wasted no time in snapping up the ex-Celtic defender in a hurry, tying up the contract before his time at Celtic officially expired on 30 June last month.
It was a strange move from the club and one that has been questioned by supporters, in light of the penny-pinching tactics from the principal shareholder during negotiations for Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham.
Meanwhile, Stephen Welsh has now admitted that he is looking to really challenge himself after moving from the Scottish Premiership Champions to the English Championship outift. Speaking to the Swansea City official website, he said: “I am buzzing to be here, it has been a good start and I have been looking forward to getting going. The lads have been great and I feel I have integrated well.
“It’s a good group, and there’s still a few more lads to come back from the World Cup. We have the training camp in Austria soon, which is great for new signings in terms of being in the environment with everyone there.
“This is a massive club, so as soon as I heard of the interest it was a no-brainer for me to come here and play my football at a top club in a top league,” the 26-year-old said.
“The Championship is known as a league of a very high standard across Europe. I am delighted to test myself at this level, the games come thick and fast and I am ready for the challenge.
“I took so much from that loan spell last year, and that was probably all down to the coach and how we set up. It was a proper team and it was probably the best season I have had in my career.
“I was playing consistently every game and playing to a high standard. That has led to me being here, and hopefully I can continue that over the next season and beyond.
“Right from the first phone call our conversations were very positive,” the former Celtic star said.
“We had a good chat about what he wanted from me, what he expects from the team and the goals for the season. He was a massive factor in me coming down here and getting the deal done so early. I hope I can help the team.
“My biggest strengths are probably being on the ball, as I have come through at Celtic from when I was younger where we play out from the back and a lot of possession-based football.
“I can defend well, I can read the game and then have composure as well, I want to utilise and show those skills for Swansea,” Stephen Welsh added.
Best of luck, Stephen!
Paul Gillespie
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