Leon Britton believes Martinez' new contract is the icing on the Swans promotion cake

It has been quite a ride for Britton who first arrived at Swansea back in December 2002 and was a pivotal part of the side that avoided relegation that season.  And, if all goes to plan, Leon will celebrate 250 appearances in a Swansea shirt on the last day of the season at Brghton.

And with Martinez rewarded for that achievement with a new contract, Britton is under no doubt that the club have made the right decision for their progression. 

“Roberto is the man to take us forward,” he claimed. “Every club has got to have ambitions and dreams and he can get us there.

“We are now just one step away from the Premiership. Every team in the Championship has the chance to get there.

“It’s going to be difficult because there are a lot of strong teams in the division. But the manager is definitely the man to hopefully take us to the next step.

“It is a massive boost for the club and the players,” he said. “We’ve all seen the job he has done this season and his record speaks for itself.

Britton was joined at Swansea just after a month later by Martinez and together they formed the key engine in midfield that played such a big part that season.  And, barring a short period apart when Kenny Jackett let the Spaniard go, they have been together in various guises as the Swans finally returned to the second tier of English football.

“The lads all enjoy playing for him and you can see that on the pitch.

“This just shows how much the club rate him. He was already under contract for a while and they still extended it.

“Improving his deal shows how popular and in-demand he probably would have been. As players we are just delighted he will be here for longer.”

“It’s been great for us since Roberto arrived,” Britton explained. “He comes in for training with new ideas and, although it takes a while to get used to at first, it’s been really enjoyable.

“Training sessions are great and there is always good variety every day.

“It’s just a great club to be involved in at the moment. There’s a real buzz around the place and that stems from the gaffer and the way he does things.

He continued: “The gaffer knows exactly how he wants us to play. From day one he has made sure training focuses on moving the ball about quickly and passing through teams.

“That shows on the pitch and it is part of the reason we have done so well with him as manager.”

“Roberto has got us playing the sort of football that will help us in the Championship,” he explained. “When we are on top of our game and playing well, the football we play is already of a similar standard.

“I think we are ready for it. The way we play our football and the confidence we have got, it should suit us. There are not many teams that play too much long ball in the Championship. You get better stadiums and pitches so it should all complement the way we play.

“If we maintain our standards we can do well in that league. But if you drop your levels, you will struggle.”

“I think I’ve been improving year on year and I’m pretty happy with the way I’ve been playing under Roberto.

“I started the season pretty slowly but then the gaffer moved me to centre midfield.

“It took me a couple of games to get used to it again but since then I’ve really enjoyed it.

“I’m just looking forward to the Championship now. It’s been a long, hard season so I’m just looking forward to a rest and recharging my batteries.

“We’ve just got to get ready for what is going to be a long, hard season. It’s going to be a big challenge but obviously one we are all looking forward to.”

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