The Swans have been given a massive boost with the news that they will get Category One status for their academy next season which is something we have been striving to get over the past few years.

It is a massive indication of just how much we have invested in our infrastructure over the past few years that we can get this status and with our state of the art facilities at both Landore and Fairwood it is a completely different club from the one that got into the Premier League back in 2011.

And with this status comes tougher games but it means that our youth players are getting more competitive football which can only bode well for them developing into first team players.

The board have always said that they want the long term future of the club to look rosy and I would imagine there have been celebrations amongst them since this news was given to them.

The Category One status has been given to both the Under-21 and Under-18 levels which means the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa will face the Swans at both levels.

“It’s a huge boost,’’ declared Swans Academy Manager Nigel Rees. “It means the boys will be competing against some of the very best players and teams at their age level.

“It’s a big step up for us, but these are the sort of challenges we want our players and teams to face week in week out.

“It’s all part of their development by creating a clear pathway towards the first team.’’

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