Born again and extremely grateful that would best describe Michael Obafemi this summer. His pre January blues have been turned around by hard work, and he owes his thanks to those who have supported him and put him on the ‘straight and narrow’ at Swansea City.

Much has been written about Michael’s troubled start at the swans, and now he see’s clearly where he went wrong and how he put it right. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph he seems to realise now that if it wasn’t for his club, the training regime and his own application he wouldn’t be in the Republic of Ireland team.

“I believed in myself, that I could show everyone what I could do with the move to Swansea. For the second half of the season I did that and got the call up so I’m thankful for everyone around me that put me on the straight and narrow,” he said. It was everything, really. I just really wasn’t settled at the beginning. You could tell. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be there, but it was all so new to me. I got hit with it all at once and it took time to digest it all and once that happened, I was on it”

Born in Dublin and raised in London Michael clearly needs to feel wanted, and he has managed to find a place to feel just that in west Wales. “The first day I drove to the training ground. I remember driving there and there were sheep outside, by the road. I’m really in Wales. It sunk in then. This is a fresh start. I wanted to just make the best of it. Around January or February it just clicked, I came into myself and it started working out.”

His troubles started early on and it was clear swans boss Russell Martin was unhappy with Michael’s commitment. “I believed in myself, that I could show everyone what I could do with the move to Swansea. For the second half of the season I did that and got the call up so I’m thankful for everyone around me that put me on the straight and narrow “

And speaking on his disillusionment at the start of his Swansea career he said” “It was everything, really. I just really wasn’t settled at the beginning. You could tell. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be there, but it was all so new to me. I got hit with it all at once and it took time to digest it all and once that happened, I was on it. Nobody wants to be out of the team. And when it happened it felt similar to being at Southampton when I was out of the team. I wasn’t happy about that. I couldn’t show what I could do to help the team and it was frustrating. The manager had immense faith in me and told me to keep pushing, and I’ve repaid him and he helped me.”

Trading and learning under Russell Martin is most certainly different for certain players, especially those seeking to be the centre of attention, that doesn’t work at Swansea City. And it isn’t on,y Michael who has found this out.

You do get the impression thigh that Michael would prefer to stay at the swans next season, and unless a very good offer comes in that is his intention. With the Joel Piroe speculation quiet Swansea City fans will be very keen to hear very little about both players until the season restarts at the end of July.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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