Matt Grimes | Everyone at the club and in the city knows what this game means

Skipper Matt Grimes knows recent history will have no bearing on the outcome of Saturday's south Wales derby, but insists Swansea City will again be ready to do everything they can to put smiles on the faces of the Jack Army.

Grimes is set to feature in his ninth derby at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday night, and will captain the visitors for a seventh time in the televised evening game.

The midfielder already has a place in the history of the famous rivalry having been the skipper of the first side to complete a league double; a feat the Swans repeated last season.

While Grimes may not hail from Swansea originally, he and his family have settled in the area since his arrival over eight years ago, and he knows as much as anyone what derby day means to the supporters and the local community.

Which means past glories are far from his mind, and he was keen to reiterate it is a game which stands apart from other fixtures, regardless of what has gone before.

“With the window now closed and the chance to work on the training field, we are looking forward to cracking on, and hopefully getting a win on Saturday,” he said.

“It’s no secret we have not won yet this season in the league, but this fixture does not need more adding to it.

“Whether you have won the opening five games, or lost the first five, this game stands alone.

“We all know the importance of it. It’s one for the fans and we are hopefully looking to get the first three points of the season, but ultimately the aim is to put smiles on the faces of the fans.

“There has been a lot of change, there are new players and new managers, it’s almost a clean slate.

“We have had good success in the past, but now we need to go again.”

With 13 new arrivals in the summer, Grimes – along with other senior players – has been quick to ensure their new teammates understand the significance of the fixture.

“Everyone at the club and in the city knows what the game means,” he added.

“It’s one of the first things you are told when you get here and I can remember being told it when I first got here.

“I remember my first derby, I got a decent taste for it and I’ve played in eight of them now and I’ve become one of the people who goes around just making sure we all know what it means to people.

“You can feel it when you are around the city with people talking about it, you know exactly what it means.”