Gonçalo Franco loving rough and tumble of the Championship

Gonçalo Franco admits he has enjoyed knuckling down and getting stuck into life in the Championship, but insists he has plenty of room for improvement with Swansea City.

The Portuguese midfielder joined the Swans from Moreirense in the summer, and has quickly made a big impression in the centre of the park.

Franco’s energy has caught the eye in and out of possession, the 23-year-old proving adept at bustling opponents off the ball and then quickly looking to play forward in transition.

Head coach Luke Williams has described the playmaker as an “action man”, and Franco has quickly taken to the physical nature of the second tier.

“I am enjoying it, I am loving being here. The people here are so warm and friendly, and it has been easy to settle here,” he said.

“I feel more and more comfortable every day, on and off the pitch.

“The league is obviously totally different to Portugal, it is a lot more physical, you have to be ready to fight more.

“But I like that side of the game, I am prepared to fight. I also want to show what I can do with the ball, to show I have quality. I feel I can do that a lot more, and I still have a lot to learn and improve on.

“The manager has really encouraged me and he has given me a lot of confidence. When we were talking about coming here, he knew what I could bring and how I would fit into the team, and these things have been as he said.”

Franco and his teammates face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday looking to build on a positive run of games between the September and October international breaks.

But he acknowledges they could easily have had a few more points on the board.

“I think we have had a good start, we know it could have been better because we have drawn games when we gave ourselves a great chance to win,” he added.

“But I think the fans can see what we want to do as a team, and we have to improve now.”