Liam Cullen | Playing for this club is the proudest part of my life

Liam Cullen described playing for Swansea City as the proudest part of his life after the academy product put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with the club.

The 25-year-old, who has been with the Swans since the age of eight, has signed terms through to the summer of 2028, with his previous deal having been due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

The contract means Cullen will reach 21 years in the colours of the club he has supported all his life, and the striker could not hide his delight at securing his future.

“It is something I have really wanted for a while now, so I am really happy to get it over the line,” he said.

“It’s great to have it sorted, so I can focus on the main part now, which is the football.

“I had always made it clear that I never wanted to leave, I have always been so happy here. So to finally know myself and my partner will be here for the next few years is really nice for us and hopefully now I can kick on and help the team.

“I used to dream about this, but I could never have imagined it when I used to go to The Vetch with my dad as a kid, and then at the Swansea.com Stadium when it was built.

“When I had the chance to come and join the under-nines it was a massive thing for me, and it’s always been the proudest part of my life to be doing this for Swansea City at first-team level.

“Hopefully, I can make sure I have been doing this for 21 years and I couldn’t be prouder.

"For me, success at Swansea would be a better feeling than success anywhere else because everyone knows what this club means to me."

Cullen had long spoken of his desire to remain with the Swans, and he revealed the role chairman Andy Coleman had played in ensuring club and player reached an agreement over his long-term future.

“There was obviously a long period of time where things were being spoken about, and in the past 10 days or so my agent and I have been speaking to Andy, the chairman, who I cannot speak highly enough of in the way he has been,” added Cullen.

“He has been so transparent, so supportive and helpful, he has kept us in the loop pretty much every day.

“He was even on the phone to me this morning thanking each other for helping make sure it has gone so smoothly.

“Hopefully I am the first of a few we can sort out, and we can keep building the squad in a positive way.”

Cullen also thanked head coach Luke Williams for his support and backing during his tenure as head coach.

And the Wales international insists he and his teammates are determined to help turn around a difficult recent run of results as they prepare to travel to face Oxford United on Saturday.

“The gaffer is someone I could not speak well enough of, to be honest,” he said. 

“He is so good with me and the lads. He loves this club like it’s his own, and that’s something we really need. That’s true of his staff and the guys he’s brought in.

“I am here for three more years and I am hoping it will be the same for him and his staff. 

“Hopefully we can put in the performances he deserves because of the detail he goes into, and the amount of work he puts in day to day for the whole club. He would absolutely deserve that. 

“We obviously want to do so well for the club, the fans and for ourselves as a team but, without doubt, we also want to do it for him and his staff because he deserves it and I hope we can do that for him.”

Having climbed through the ranks from Swansea’s pre-academy up to the senior squad, Cullen has gone from being one of the “babies” of the group to now being a seasoned professional.

And he is eager to take on more responsibility on and off the pitch.

“Recently, we are not happy with how things are going and we need to change that because I know we are a better team than we have been showing,” added Cullen.

“That’s down to all of us, so it’s about trying to change the form and the results and pushing up the table.

“We defend as an 11 and we attack as an 11, that’s one of our strengths and it’s something the gaffer is massive on. We want to play like a real team, and not just be about individuals, we want everyone – whether you start or come off the bench in games – to be on the same page.

“But, for me, in terms of goals, I have always wanted to be the main man in terms of scoring goals, and it is something I am striving to improve on every day.

“I have played most games over the last couple of years, and I want to help the club in every way I can on and off the pitch. 

“I definitely want to be one of the senior players because for most of my time here I have been one of the babies, especially when I first came through.

“So to get to this point and being a senior player feels a bit weird, but it’s something I want to take in my stride.”