John Swift has today signed a new long-term deal at Reading which has seen him commit his future at the Championship club until 2022.
An outstanding debut season
There was much excitement about Swift's future potential but it was not until last season when he was given a chance to shine by Reading manager Jaap Stam that he showed everyone what he is capable of. He put in a number of superb performances and was instrumental in a very successful season for the Royals which saw them finish in the play-off places, only to be pipped to a place in the Premier League by Huddersfield Town at Wembley in the Play-Off Final.
His permanent move to the Madjeski Stadium from Chelsea last summer appears to have been the making of him. Before that he was limited to three loan spells at Rotherham United, Swindon Town and Brentford. Despite the first two being relatively unsuccessful, he did make an impact at Griffin Park with the Bees where he scored seven goals in the 27 appearances he made.
However, it was last season under the management of Stam, that he really flourished and showed what he is capable of. He made a total of 36 appearances for the Royals throughout the season and scored nine goals in the process. He may have signed this new deal even sooner if he was not on international duty for England's Under 21 side this summer.
Stam 'happy' to see Swift commit to Royals
Reading wanted to waste no time in getting Swift tied down to a new contract after receiving a host of interest in the player from both rival Championship and Premier League clubs. Stam feels that he can continue to make the difference in games for Reading in the upcoming campaign.
He told the club's official site: “Everybody knows the quality Swifty has. He showed us all last season what a great player he is and the difference he can make in games. And, as a club, you want to keep these influential players within your squad. So I’m very happy that he’s signed this new deal at Reading.”
Reading's Chief Executive Ron Gourlay is excited to see Swift continue his development at the club for the next few years and to see how far the 22-year-old can go.
Gourlay said: “A midfielder of John’s calibre and undoubted potential, promising the next five years of his career to what we are striving to achieve at Reading, is a clear demonstration of both commitment to the cause from an exciting, creative midfielder and long-term ambition from the club and its owners. I am delighted to have secured the services of such a talented young footballer until 2022!”