Loan spells pay off for Matt

Matt Grimes believes the high and lows of his loan experiences have helped him progress at Swansea City.

The midfielder has recently put pen to paper on a new deal which ties him to the Liberty Stadium until the summer of 2022.

He has played 17 times this season – starting 12 of them – in all competitions under Graham Potter.

But it’s not been all plain sailing for Grimes since his switch from Exeter City in January 2015.

After making his Premier League debut only a few months after, Grimes would manage four more appearances the following season before heading out on loan to Blackburn Rovers.

He made 13 appearances for the Ewood Park club before a season-long loan at Leeds United in 2016-17 saw him feature just seven times in the Championship.

Better times fared the following year as Grimes scored four times in 44 appearances for Northampton in League One.

Now back at the Liberty, the 23-year-old has become a firm part of Potter’s plans in SA1 as the Swans continue their promising start to the Championship.

And despite some mixed fortunes during his temporary spells away from the Swans, Grimes is grateful for the experiences which have develop him on and off the pitch.

“A lot has gone one since I had last played for Swansea before this season,” said Grimes, who has featured at both left-back and central midfield this season.

“I am just happy to be back here playing football. That was my dream when I signed here three years ago.

“It didn’t work out at the time and I had to go out on loan and bide my time.

“I learned a lot out on loan. I probably learned the most when I was at Leeds. I learned football is a very cruel game and won’t give you anything.

“I needed to play games last season so it was very beneficial for me to drop down a league to play regular games with Northampton.

“I’ve taken a lot from those experiences and that’s why I am here today.”