Ollie Cooper | I am over the moon but there is more to come from me

Ollie Cooper hopes there is plenty more to come from him in a Swansea City shirt after signing a new deal to keep him in SA1 until the summer of 2027.

The 22-year-old academy product has been rewarded for his excellent form as he enjoys a breakthrough campaign at Championship level under head coach Russell Martin and his staff.

Following a successful loan spell at Newport County last term, the midfielder returned to the Swansea squad determined to stake a claim for regular first-team action.

He has taken the chance with both hands, racking up three goals and an assist in 13 appearances so far this term.

Those three goals have come in his last three home outings against Sunderland, Reading and Cardiff City, while his energy and work ethic without the ball has also won him plenty of plaudits.

Cooper’s showings have seen him touted as a potential call-up for Wales’ World Cup squad, but the playmaker’s immediate focus is to continue to improve and contribute for the club he has represented since under-12 level.

“I am over the moon to get it sorted. It’s been one hell of a week, to score against Cardiff and now to top it off with a new deal to ensure I am staying here until 2027 is massive,” he said.

“There is always room to grow and improve. I am working hard with the staff, who have really helped me develop and improve game by game. I am excited to see where it goes.

“It is great to have the security of knowing I can continue to play and develop here.

“I think it will allow me to improve and kick on and progress.

“I feel I am in such a good environment and at such a good club.

“At the moment I am just looking forward to everything that is coming up.

“When things are going as they are at the moment you just want to be on the pitch as much as possible.”

Cooper has spoken of the change of mindset he experienced on the back of his loan stint at Rodney Parade, and has no doubt that concerted exposure to senior football was a key moment in his development.

But he also thanked the Swans coaching staff for closely monitoring his progress and encouraging him that he was in their thoughts for the 2022-23 season.

“It’s been unreal. I just really believed that if I was given the opportunity I would be ready to take it. I believe that is what I have done. Now it is about continuing to do that, staying in the team, scoring and creating goals. I want to keep doing that through to the end of the season and beyond,” added Cooper.

“I came back in pre-season and I just felt I was truly ready to compete at this level. I think I gained the experience I needed, playing competition senior football, and I felt confident in myself to come back to hit the ground running.”

“The person I was then, to the person I am now; they are two very different people. I took so much from the loan spell.

“I think I was a lot more shy before it, whereas now I am willing to demand the ball more. There is a long way to go but it has improved a lot. All those little bits add up and I just need to keep improving and improving.

“It was also massive to know the staff here were keeping such a close eye on me, you don’t want to be away anywhere and feel like you are out of sight and out of mind.

“To know they were there watching showed there was a real belief in me and that I was part of their plans, and they were consistent in telling me that throughout my time there."