Time to dig deep and make experience count, says boss Cooper

STEVE Cooper has called on all of his players to draw on their past experiences as Swansea City look to get their promotion push back on track.

The Swans have suffered four consecutive defeats to fall 10 points adrift of the Championship’s automatic promotion places with just seven matches left to play.

However, they remain firmly in the mix for a play-off spot ahead of today’s clash with Millwall at The Den. Experienced heads Andre Ayew, Conor Hourihane, Korey Smith, Kyle Naughton and Ryan Bennett have all been key figures for Cooper’s troops this term.

Their roles have played a key part in ensuring young guns including Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi and Joel Latibeaudiere have flourished when given the opportunity to impress.

And Cooper says those who have been there and done it in their careers will be vital in the remaining weeks of the campaign.

“It’s important that everybody comes to the fore and brings to the table what they have,” he said.

“They [older players] have experience, they have know-how and not just about playing in games, but understanding situations and maybe offering a bit of perspective on things.

“The general feeling in the group at the moment is ‘OK, we’ve got to get that next win as quickly as we can,’ but we’re in our league position for a reason.

“We can draw a lot of confidence from that. It’s a position that so many envy.

“We’ve got to keep hold of that, get back to winning ways as quickly as we can and try and get back to the levels that we’ve shown we’re capable of.”

Meanwhile, Liam Cullen and Steven Benda are both close to returning to action following a significant period on the treatment table.

The pair have been sidelined since January due to ankle injuries, but Cooper has confirmed the duo are edging back to full fitness.

When asked how the Swans are looking on the injury front following Monday’s 1-0 loss to Preston, Cooper responded: “Nothing from the Preston game.

“Culls is making good progress. We’re seeing a bit of him now but he’s not in full training. He won’t be too far away.

“Steven Benda is back as well. He’ll probably play for the under-23s next week.”

Kick-off against the Lions is at 12:30pm today.