Toshack praises fresh prospects

Cameron Toshack applauded the progress made by Brandon Cooper and Joe Lewis after the academy youngsters helped Swansea City Under-23s to an impressive 3-0 victory over West Ham at Landore.

Both prospects have risen through the academy ranks over the past decade, with 18-year-old defender Cooper making his ninth appearance for the development side as he played a full 90 minutes alongside Cian Harries at centre-back.

Meanwhile, under-18s left-back Lewis came off the bench in stoppage time to make his first appearance for the development side as they extended their unbeaten run in Premier League 2 to six games.

“It is great to see more young players taking that step up into development football,” said Toshack.

“The key aim for myself and Gary (Richards) is not just to win games but to develop players at this level and help them find a pathway to first-team football.

“Brandon has done very well with us over the past few months and continues to feature regularly for the under-18s.

“It was good to have the chance to introduce Joe into the game on Monday night. He is another player who has trained with the first team and is continuing to progress well.

“We hope both can get more game-time with us this season and will set an example for other academy players.”