Connor's putting in the hard yards

One thing is for certain when it comes to Connor Roberts – he’s prepared to go the extra mile for Swansea City.

Local lad Roberts is enjoying his first full season in the Swans' senior squad after making his breakthrough in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign.

He is the only player in Graham Potter’s squad to have played every single minute of the club’s Championship campaign so far.

After graduating from the club’s academy, the 23-year-old has spent time on loan with Yeovil Town, Bristol Rovers and Middlesbrough.

But it is the Liberty that Roberts calls home, and that is where his fully committed, high-energy performances have made him a firm fans' favourite.

Whether it is in defence or on the wing, Roberts’s work down Swansea’s right flank has not gone under the radar this season.

Consistent performances for his club have led to further international honours with Wales, while the Crynant product has recently signed a new deal with the Swans.

His stats back up his work rate too, with only two Swans players – both midfielders – covering more distance on average per game.

Roberts, on average, runs 11.1km per game, which is above the average distance covered by his fellow full-backs (10.4km).

The hard-running approach was drilled into him at a young age, with the Wales international recognising the need to work harder than his team-mates throughout his rise.

“I am not by a long way the best technical player in the squad, so I need to work hard in training and when I play,” acknowledged Roberts, who is set to feature again tonight when the Swans host West Brom.

“There is no substitute for hard work, and ever since I was a young boy my dad said ‘you may not be the best player on the pitch but if you try harder then anyone else then you have a chance’.

“I’ve taken that on board along with the experiences at Bristol Rovers and Middlesbrough when I wasn’t playing. I was working hard and not playing, so there were question marks around that.

“But when I’ve played for Swansea and Wales, every time I have played I’ve left everything on the pitch. If it’s not good enough then it’s not good enough, but so far it’s gone well.”