Morgan Whittaker ready to take on familiar faces

Morgan Whittaker is looking forward to seeing some familiar faces when Swansea City host Derby County this weekend, but insists the focus will be on picking up three points for Steve Cooper’s side.

Whittaker swapped Pride Park for the Liberty Stadium in January, and has scored one goal in his 11 appearances to date for the Swans.

The forward was a second-half substitute as he helped Swansea seal their play-off place at Reading last time out, and they now host the Rams looking to carry momentum into the extended end to the campaign.

The 20-year-old came through the ranks with the east Midlands club, playing alongside and under Wayne Rooney during that time.

He will come up against his old team-mates with the visitors looking to secure Championship survival, but Whittaker’s focus is only on the task at hand for himself and Swansea.

“It will be nice to see some of the Derby lads, but I know I have a job to do for Swansea City and it’s all about getting three points for us,” he said.

“I was fortunate to work with a lot of good people, and I learnt a lot working under people like Frank Lampard, Philip Cocu and Wayne Rooney.

“But we have a lot of work to do and a lot to look forward to.

“We have the play-offs to look forward to, and we want to build up some momentum before then, so these next two games are important for us.”

Whittaker has not had too long to get used to his new surroundings, particularly during a period where lockdown restrictions have often been in place.

But he has no doubt he made the right choice in making the move to the Swans.

“There wasn’t much to consider, to be honest. I wanted to get out on loan and I needed a fresh start. Swansea came in, and with what the club and the city possesses, it was a no brainer,” he said.

“It was a case of when we could get it done, not whether we should get it done. For football and family reasons, it was a great move and it ticked all the boxes.

“I also knew Mike Marsh from our time in the England youth set up, so it wasn’t a completely new environment for me.

“I must say, the players and staff made it so easy to settle in, and although I’ve not played in front of the fans, they’ve been really, really nice with their messages.”