Garry Monk has been handed a new contract at Swansea City, but he insists he will not be resting on his laurels in the coming season.
The 36-year-old was installed as Swans coach when Michael Laudrup was surprisingly sacked in February 2014, and last season he led them to their highest Premier League finish when they collected a club record 56 points to finish eighth. Amongst the highlights of the season, of which there were many, was a double win over Manchester United.
Although Monk still had two years left on the contract he signed upon replacing the Dane, his efforts last term have now been rewarded with a new deal which will run until the summer of 2018. And the former Swans player, who made 270 appearances for the club, is now determined to build on the job he began 18 months ago.
“I’m glad it’s all finalised heading into a new and very important season for the club”, he told swanseacity.net. “This is my 12th year at Swansea and I’ve always given everything for the club. Last season was fantastic and I learned a lot to take forward. But even with this success, from the staff to the players, you can never afford to stand still.
“It’s been a happy and productive 18 months so far for me as manager. I believe we have put good foundations in place, but now it’s vital we build on that and push forward. It is probably going to be the most important and difficult season many clubs will face in the Premier League ahead of the new broadcasting deal.”
Monk has already began to make progress during the summer transfer window, with the eye-catching signings of Andre Ayew and Eder. The latter, a Portugal international striker, has joined from Sporting Braga for around £5million, whilst the former was a free transfer signing from Marseille where his contract had expired.
