Swansea City travel to third placed Bristol City in today’s Professional Development League fixture at the clubs development academy centre.. The swans have slowly edged there way in to the season and sit third bottom in the standings after a very slow start.
The game has its own thread on Swansea Independent, click here –> âš½ï¸Under 23 Thread
Streaming details will be announced if available later today. The game kicks off at 2pm. The swans last game was a defeat at West Ham 1-0 in the PDL Cup. Some of the swans side have gained plaudits and a lot of recognition this season. Joel Cotterill is one having moved up from the under 18 squad and another player who is generating a lot of interest is Zimbabwe born Tivonge Rushesha. Cotterill has been at the swans since he was seven and has graduated to the under 23 side very smoothly. Rushesha is currently the team captain, and despite his small stature is a strong and pacy centre half.
Talking about the swans progression this season Rushesha said. "I think you can see the progression, I think earlier in the season we would have lost the last two games. ( in the league ) "I’ve enjoyed playing at centre back, I enjoy the middle of the pitch because I get a lot of the ball there and I think the way I play on the ball suits me," he added. I’ve been enjoying just how much of the ball I’ve been seeing and I’ve just been taking on the challenge as I go. I think I’ve always been a good communicator, I think I’ve always led the team even when I’m not wearing the captains armband, so it’s good to see that the coaches have noticed that and it’s been great to wear it for the last two games”
Rushesha is one of a handful of extremely bright and competitive footballers in the under 23 side and and it’s certain they will step up to the first team in the coming two years.
Talking to the clubs official website yesterday Swansea City U23s assistant coach Anthony Wright said "There’s nothing better for the lads than playing football, the boys have recovered and have worked hard on the training ground ready for the game. Bristol City are floating around the top of our league at the moment, we picked up a draw against them not long ago and we’re hoping we can make it a win this time. We go into the game with a lot of confidence from the last game and from the last couple of weeks, and we go into this game looking for a result.”
The Professional Development League 2 is the tenth campaign of post-EPPP Under-23 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. A total of 16 teams are split regionally into north and south divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice both home and away and opponents in the other region once. The sides finishing in the top two positions in both regions at the end of the season will progress to a knockout stage to determine the overall league champion. Birmingham City are the defending national champions but have since graduated to Category One.