Brendan Rodgers says he is sad he never got the chance to work with Leon Britton at Swansea City

Rodgers will line his Swans side up against Britton's Sheffield United on Saturday - the first time that Leon has played against his Swans since his summer departure.

Britton had left the Liberty Stadium before Rodgers' arrival as replacement for Paulo Sousa and has since blamed the former Swans boss for his decision to leave for pastures new.

And Rodgers admitted that he is disappointed that he never had the chance to work with Leon, telling the Evening Post "I was a big admirer of what Leon did when he was here," Rodgers revealed.

"Looking in from the outside, he was a fantastic little player who was part of the identity of Swansea. When he was playing here, he was one of the best midfield players in the Championship.

"And when I came in, I was disappointed he had gone because I felt that he understood the way this team played.

"Tactically, he was a good influence on this team.

"He was a player who would start off the game for Swansea," Rodgers added.

"The player in his position is important in the system that we play because when you are trying to create and build from the back, you need a controlling midfield player who is comfortable on the ball and tactically strong.

"Leon had both of those things and he is someone who would have been good to work with.

"He was always going to be difficult to replace, but I think you can see that the team have done well without him.

"Mark (Gower) has played most in the role Leon Britton used to fill and he has done fantastically in that position

"It's something we have done okay with."

Photo: Action Images

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