Swansea target Jones out to forget his diving disaster

BY MARTIN McMILLAN

KILMARNOCK winger Jordan Jones has just emerged from some unwanted publicity and says he wants to focus his attention fully on his football going forward.

The Northern Ireland international was at the centre of a diving storm when he received a two-match ban for going down to win a penalty at Dundee last month. Jones insists he was innocent despite Kilmarnock deciding they did not have the evidence to challenge the punishment.

And the former Middlesbrough player now wants to quietly get on with his game despite speculation linking the likes of Aston Villa and Swansea with interest in his services.

The 24-year-old – who warmed up for today’s Ladbrokes Premiership game against St Johnstone by playing twice for his country – said: “It was a testing period and it was the international break as well so there was a lot of attention on it because there was nothing else to talk about.

“And I was the only player to ever dive in history, apparently...

“You just have to get your head down and get through it.

“You can’t let it affect you. People are going to say things and that’s the way football is: everyone has an opinion. If that’s their opinion, no problem. Jones admitted he was adversely affected by transfer talk when Rangers had a bid for him rejected almost 12 months ago, and he aims to keep his mind on his game ahead of the latest January window.

“Pretty much for six months last year there were teams constantly been linked to me, and I got affected by it,” he said.

“So this year I am making sure it doesn’t affect me. I am just trying to blank it out and focus on my football, and whatever happens in the future will happen.

“You try your best to ignore it. I spoke to my agent and said I don’t want to hear about any teams.”