Meet the opposition | Leeds United
As Swansea City prepare to host Leeds United at the Swansea.com Stadium, we take a closer look at the Yorkshire club.
WHAT'S THEIR STORY?
One of the best-supported clubs in the land, Leeds are back in the Championship following a three-year stint in the Premier League that had ended a 16-year absence from the top-flight.
Having been promoted playing a swashbuckling brand of football under Marcelo Bielsa and making an eye-catching impression in the Premier League, the Yorkshire club ended up being relegated on the final day of last season.
In their history Leeds have won three league titles, as well as an FA Cup and League Cup, while they were beaten European Cup finalists in 1975.
Their last First Division title came in 1992 and they were a top-flight force around the turn of the Millennium, while reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2001.
HOW'S THEIR FORM?
Strong. Leeds have won their last six Championship games in a row and are firmly in the race for automatic promotion.
They have lost just two of their last 12 games in all competitions. However, those two defeats have come on their travels against West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End.
WHO'S THE GAFFER?
Daniel Farke. Playing his entire career in the lower leagues of German football, Farke’s first managerial move came at the helm of his beloved SV Lippstadt, a club he joined three times as a player.
Taking over as manager at the age of 32, Farke led the club from the sixth tier of the German leagues into the fourth, before taking charge of Borussia Dortmund II when Thomas Tuchel was at the helm of the first team of the Bundesliga giants.
Placed in charge of Norwich in 2017, Farke came through a challenging first season at Carrow Road where he laid the foundations for their Championship-winning campaign in 2018-19.
They were relegated from the Premier League, but kept a nucleus of players who had been so effective two years earlier and he secured a top-flight return only to leave Carrow Road in November 2021.
He went on to manage Krasnodar in Russia and Borussia Monchengladbach in his homeland, before being appointed Leeds boss in the summer.
WHO'S THE CAPTAIN?
Liam Cooper. The experienced Scot has been a club stalwart for the Elland Road outfit, racking up 275 appearances since joining from Chesterfield in August 2014.
The Hull-born centre-half came through the ranks of his hometown club and graduated to the senior team, for whom he made 17 appearances.
His stint in the East Riding of Yorkshire also saw him go out on loan to Carlisle, Huddersfield and Chesterfield before signing a permanent deal with the Spireites in 2013.
He would spend just 12 months with the club, helping them to the League Two title and the Football League Trophy final, before moving to Leeds and the rest is history as he played a leading role in their longed for return to the top-flight in 2020.
Cooper has 17 Scotland caps to his name, having made his debut in 2019 against Russia.
However, Ethan Ampadu has taken on the armband with Cooper not having been a regular starter.
WHO ARE THE KEY MEN?
Forward Crysencio Summerville has enjoyed an excellent season so far, after a summer where he was heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road.
The Dutchman has 19 goal involvements to his name, scoring 15 goals and setting up eight more in 29 appearances.
The pacy 22-year-old came through the ranks at Eredivisie giants Feyenoord, and had loan spells with Dordrecht and Den Haag before making the move to Leeds in 2020.
Another player with speed to burn, and a familiar name to Swans fans, Daniel James has been back to his best for Leeds.
James came through the academy ranks with Hull and the Swans, enjoying a breakthrough campaign under Graham Potter in 2018-19 that teed up a big-money move to Manchester United.
Two years at Old Trafford were followed by his switch to Leeds in 2021. The Wales international spent last term on loan with Fulham, but has been revitalised under Daniel Farke and has 10 goals and seven assists under his belt this season.
James' Wales colleague Ethan Ampadu has been an astute addition for the Yorkshire club, being a consistent performer in the middle of the park or in the heart of the defence.
Ampadu, son of former Swan Kwame, came through the ranks at Exeter and made his senior debut aged just 15.
Now aged 23, the midfielder or defender, joined Chelsea in 2017 and spent six years at Stamford Bridge, which included loan spells with RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Venezia and Spezia before his switch to Elland Road.
Despite his tender years, Ampadu has already won 49 caps for his country.