Alan Sheehan | We want to show focus and discipline

Head coach Alan Sheehan has urged Swansea City not to get caught up in the emotion of the start of a new season and keep the focus on the task at hand when they face Middlesbrough this afternoon (3pm).

The Swans are on Teesside for the opening game of the Championship campaign for the second time in 12 months looking to build on an excellent end to the 2024-25 campaign, which saw them take 17 points from the final eight games -  a tally only bettered by promoted Leeds United and Burnley.

The visitors will be looking to continue to improve and evolve as another gruelling season gets under way.

They face a Middlesbrough side now under the guidance of former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards, and Sheehan acknowledges there is a lot of excitement as the serious business begins.

But he has urged his players to keep their focus and discipline at the Riverside Stadium.

“I think we know that this is going to be a hard challenge,” said the Swans boss.

“I think it is going to be a difficult game, we went there on the opening day last season so you know what we can expect.

“They have a new manager, so there will be a little bit of emotion in the atmosphere at the start.

“So we have to be prepared to go there and be competitive, we want to be able to build on what we have done and what we have.

“There is a different feeling when it’s a Championship game, we are glad to have that feeling again and we have had a good week of training and it’s about us having that focus and discipline in our performance.”