Lewis Thomas PL Cup
19th January
Lewis Thomas hopes to stake a claim for a starting place when Swansea City Under-23s face Newcastle United for a second time this week in the Premier League Cup at Landore on Friday (2pm).
The 19-year-old goalkeeper started his first game of the season in the competition as the development side were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Southampton in November.
"It has been a tough season waiting for my chance, but I am looking forward to the opportunity to impress," said Thomas, who signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2015.
"I have not had as much game time as I would have hoped this campaign, but it has given me the opportunity to work behind the scenes to improve my strength to make sure I am prepared."
An impressive performance saw the young Swans defeat the Magpies 3-1 in Premier League 2 on Monday.
Now they turn their attention to PL Cup action with the development squad still looking for their first victory in Group A, where they also face Bristol City.
"We have done well in all competitions so far," added Thomas. "But this is one where we need to make improvements.
"We do not take the Premier League Cup lightly. We want to pick up wins in our upcoming fixtures to progress to the last 16 if we can.
"The tournament is set up a lot better than last season with more games, which is a great opportunity for players like myself to get game-time.
"We play a mix of teams from different levels, so it offers a good test.
"Even though we beat Newcastle in PL2 this week we can't take anything for granted. We have to ensure we go into the game with the same mentality to maintain the high standards we have set ourselves this season."
