Tour talk: Jordi Amat

He may be swotting up on his English, but Jordi Amat won't have any trouble settling on and off the pitch at Swansea City.
The Spaniard swapped his homeland for South West Wales this summer after clinching a £2.5million move from La Liga club Espanyol.
It was a big move for the 21-year-old, who modestly declares his English is only "okay" - but it was an even bigger one for his family.
For the defender was not the only one to move, as he was joined by his parents, two brothers, sister and girlfriend on the flight to a new place they would call home.
And he feels his family's decision to join him in Swansea is one that will help him produce his best form at the Liberty.
"Family is very, very important to me," said Amat, who spent 12 years at Espanyol. "The decision to come here was a big move for me, but also for my family because they said 'Jordi, we will come with you'.
"That shows the level of support they give me. To move country and change jobs is not an easy decision, but they want to be with me showing their full support.
"And that is something which will help me at Swansea. With my family around me, I feel I can give everything to this club. I want to do my best for Swansea and my family.
"And I think this club is the same as me - it is a family club, and I really like that.
"Swansea is a lovely place and the people are very welcoming. I have a good feeling about this city and club."



Currently out in Holland on the club's pre-season tour, Amat featured in the opening wins over FC Gravenzande and Excelsior Maassluis.
And he revealed his time with the Swans has been a real education.
"My English is okay, but I want to improve on it a lot because I need to communicate better with my team-mates," added the Spanish Under-21 international, whose family has made the trip to Holland to cheer him on.
"Oscar (Garcia, Fitness and Conditioning Coach) has given me a list of English phrases and words which will help me understand and communicate with my team-mates, so I've been busy studying them inbetween our double training sessions.
"When we return from Holland I will get a tutor and start English lessons as quickly as possible.
"And I feel as if I've learned a lot already from just training and playing alongside my new team-mates. They have experience of playing in the Premier League, and I must learn as much as I can from them."
He may have played against some big names in La Liga during his time with Espanyol and on loan at Rayo Vallecano, but Amat admits he was a little star-struck when he reported for pre-season training.
He explained: "Moving to Swansea and the Premier League is a massive opportunity for me.
"It's a club that is developing and improving each season, and in Spain the club is very famous and popular now.
"But I remember my first training session out here in Holland and thinking 'wow, that's Michael Laudrup showing me what to do'.
"I told myself to listen to every single bit of advice he gives and to learn as much as I can, because he was an amazing player - one of the best.
"So when you have the opportunity to improve under Michael Laudrup, then you must take it.
"When he talks, everyone listens. You can sense the respect the whole squad has for the manager.
"There is a real trust between the manager and players, and within the squad too.
"For me, it has been so easy to come into this squad. Everyone is so friendly, so helpful.
"I'm really enjoying the tour so far - we have done well in training and in the matches.
"I'm looking forward to the rest of the matches and hopefully we will end the tour on a high."