Twenty two year old Oli Cooper a Swansea City youth product who has also appeared for the under 18 and 23 sides is very much in Russell Martin’s thoughts this week. He has just returned to the swans after a very successful loan spell at Newport County.

Having impressed Newport throughout the season Cooper is now in a position to also impress his manager Russell Martin. It is clear his young player is going to be given the opportunity in close season and pre season to lay down a few markers as to his future.

Speaking about Oli the swans boss has given him an encouraging boost. There are around ten players set to leave or be loaned out again but with regards to Cooper the response was very different. “Ollie’s a real possibility,” said Martin. “The rest we’ll have to see. We’ll sit down with them when they’re done. We’ve stayed in touch with them. We can discuss it. I expect there’ll be a few who want to kick-start their careers and play elsewhere because they don’t fit the long-term vision of the team or have a position that is ideally suited to theirs. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Oli Cooper played over thirty games for Newport this season and insisted on remaining with them for the second half of their campaign in January. The Derby born product signed a contract extension last year to carry his time at Swansea to June 2023, a wise move by the swans for such a well thought of talent.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

ReslovenSwan1 added 13:35 - May 10 Garrick has performed better at a higher level . 50 games 8 goals 7 assists. He is fast, big strong and athletic. Exactly the qualities Martin bemoaned not having after being left bullied legless by Forest. Having struggled with soft tissue issues as a sprinter he got 50 games this season. He can play in three positions wing back winger and forward . Only 23 and improving. Like Lowe Martin does not want hard runners. He wants passers. Cooper in Garrick out.

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