Jamie Paterson happy to repay fans after warm welcome back

Jamie Paterson has thanked the Swansea City fans for the reception they gave him as he marked his return to the side with an assist against Blackburn Rovers.

The 30-year-old midfielder played for the first time since the game against Nottingham Forest on December 11, and was handed a starting role by head coach Russell Martin.

And it took him no time to pick up where he left off as he created the winner for Michael Obafemi in just the 16th minute.

Paterson cut inside onto his right foot, and his cross perfectly found the unmarked striker, who headed the ball past Thomas Kaminski and into the net.

The attacking playmaker was given a tremendous cheer when his name was read out prior to kick-off and he was glad to repay the backing of the supporters with an assist and three points.

“That was amazing, to be fair. It gave me a big boost and really gave me that lift to come back in and pick up where I left off from before,” said Paterson.

“They got behind me, they sang my name, it was an amazing feeling and I was just glad to give them the three points.

“I love playing football, sometimes things off the pitch can be difficult and I just want to get back to playing football.

“The fans helped settle my nerves and I was glad to be able to repay them with an assist, and we got three points against a really good side.

“I will try and score and assist as many times as I can, and bring the leadership and experience the gaffer talks to me about.”

Victory over Rovers – who had lost just once in 13 games before their visit to SA1 – was a timely boost for the Swans after the frustration of defeats to Hull and Luton.

And Paterson hopes the three points can prove a springboard for a good run of results.

“It was a tough game, they are up at the top of the table for a reason and we worked really hard for however long it was – it felt like about three days – to get the win,” he said.

“We showed our togetherness and we need to push on from here.

“It has been a while since I played and it probably wasn’t the plan for me to play 90 minutes. The last 20 minutes were hard but I think that will stand me in good stead moving forward.”