Alfie Mawson delighted to make first Swansea City appearance
8th October
Alfie Mawson is ready to for the demands of the Premier League after making his first appearance for Swansea City.
The defender, who joined in a £5million deal from Barnsley in August, got his first taste of action for his new club during the Checkatrade Trophy victory over Newport on Tuesday.
Mawson played the full 90 minutes as the young Swans claimed a 2-1 win over the League Two side, and the 22-year-old's next target is to make his senior debut.
"I am really pleased to have made my first appearance in a Swansea City shirt - I feel fit and ready for the challenge of Premier League football," said Mawson. "I have to be ready because you never know when you might be called on.
"With the managerial change at the club I don't know at the minute when that chance will come, but when I get it I have to be ready to take it.
"I hope I am a step closer to my first-team debut. You never know with a new manager, he might come in with certain players he wants to feature in mind or he might come in with a clean slate.
"Whether I am in or out of the next squad I just want to see the team get the results they deserve, as Jürgen Klopp said last Saturday, we don't look like a team who has got just four points.
"We are playing good football, we have experienced players in the team and I am confident results will start to turn around."
Mawson's last involvement in the Checkatrade Trophy saw him lift silverware at Wembley with Barnsley in April.
This season the competition has undergone a revamp, with a number of invitational sides - including the Swans - required to field at least six under-23s players and four overage members.
And Mawson believes the new-look tournament will benefit the development of Swansea's youngsters.
"The competition has changed from last season but it is a great opportunity for young players at the club to get the chance to play against seasoned professionals," added Mawson.
"Playing regularly against League One opposition helped me develop so a competition like this will massively help develop younger players at the Swans."
