Blair hoping for first team chance at Swansea

After five appearances for Swansea’s U23 side in the Football League Trophy and helping them to third in division two of Premier League 2, Ryan Blair has grand ambitions for the season ahead.

The deep-lying midfielder has been the engine behind his side’s success this season, playing a large part in them being crowned Premier League Cup champions with a 2-0 win over Reading last month.

The 19-year-old, who joined the Swans from Falkirk last summer, has yet to make a first team appearance for the South Wales side, but if peers Jay Fulton and Stephen Kingsley are anything to go by, a spot in Paul Clement’s plans is not far away.

The trio, along with Botti Babi, all swapped Scotland for Swansea and both Fulton and Kingsley have featured for Swansea in the season just finished.

And while Blair wants to follow in their footsteps, he is happy to bide his time.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

“It’s been a good time for me,” he says. “I started or featured in the majority of the games for the U23s, which has been great.

“I am loving my football at the minute. The formation suits me, I like being able to pull the strings in midfield and help the team break on the counter-attack.

“I think one of my strengths is keeping the game ticking over and feel I am doing a job for the team.

“There is a lot of competition for places in that midfield role, so you need to be at your best if you want to start.”