Nathan Tjoe-A-On | This is a big club, it's great for a player like me

Nathan Tjoe-A-On is eager to face the challenge of Championship football after completing his move to Swansea City, and revealed how hearing about the story of the club ensured the decision to move to SA1 was an easy one.

The 21-year-old left-back has joined from Dutch top-flight club Excelsior – subject to international clearance and visa approval – and will wear the number 21 shirt for the Swans.

He has put pen to paper on a three-year contract, with an option for an additional 12 months, and will provide a valuable left-footed option for head coach Michael Duff.

Having helped Excelsior seal promotion to the Eredivisie, and impressed in the top-flight to the extent that he was named the division’s young player of the month last September, Tjoe-A-On is excited by this opportunity and eager to develop and make his mark.

“This is a really big club, everyone in the Netherlands knows about this club,” he said.

“But once I spoke to people at Swansea and they gave me a presentation and told me about the story of the club and what they want to achieve - and showed me the facilities here - it really was not a difficult decision for me.

“We also talked about the city and the people here, it all sounded so good. When you come somewhere new and you see straight away it is just the same as that you have been told, it’s a really good feeling.

“It’s great for a player like me because I am still young, I want to learn a lot and I feel this is the right place for me.

“I’m a left-back. I’ve played with four and five at the back. I think I have a lot of power going forward and defensively also. I feel good on the ball and I like to play football.

“I just want to improve here. I like the physical side of the game too, and English football is famous for that, so I think it’s a good competition for me.”

Tjoe-A-On, who is Dutch but has Indonesian and Surinamese heritage, also called on the advice of a fellow countryman who wore the Swansea shirt with some distinction across a two-year spell between 2012 and 2014.

Jonathan de Guzman helped the Swans to League Cup glory under Michael Laudrup, and scored a memorable free-kick in the stunning Europa League win at Valencia the following season.

“Obviously, when the club was in the Premier League I was able to watch a lot in the Netherlands,” added Tjoe-A-On.

“But I also talked with one player from the Netherlands who played here, and that was Jonathan de Guzman.

“He told me the people are really nice, that it’s a really good club and a nice stadium, so it was good to hear that from someone like him.”

Despite his young age, Tjoe-A-On has that promotion to his name with Excelsior, which came in extraordinary fashion in 2022.

Facing ADO Den Haag following a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their play-off final, Excelsior trailed 3-0 away from home in the second leg with a dozen minutes to play.

Incredibly they scored three in the final minutes to take the game to extra-time, equalised again after going behind during the additional 30 minutes, and triumphed 8-7 on penalties.

Those are the sort of moments Tjoe-A-On would love to help Swansea experience.

“The first game at home was 1-1, but we were 3-0 behind in the second game. We didn’t score until the 79th minute, but we made it 3-3,” he says with a smile.

“Then it was extra-time, where it went to 4-4. There were two red cards, two disallowed goals and then it went to penalties. It was crazy.

“We couldn’t celebrate promotion on the pitch because it was their home, so we had to run inside, but it was the best feeling I’ve had. These are the moments you play for.”