Express & Star

John Swift vows to be West Brom's creative force

John Swift is determined to solve some of Albion’s problems in the final third after arriving at The Hawthorns from Reading.

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Widely seen as one of the best players in the Championship, Swift joined the Baggies on a free transfer last week.

And he has vowed to add more flair to an Albion side that struggled going forward last season.

“I would say that whether you’ve seen me play once or over 100 times, I always try and play the same way,” Swift said.

“My game is all about picking the ball up in dangerous areas of the pitch and trying to make things happen in an attacking sense.

“I always want the ball. I always want to dribble with the ball. I always want to try and create opportunities for me or my team-mates.

“I managed to get quite a few goals and assists last season at Reading and I’m focused on making sure I have another season where I manage to get plenty of both again.

“You always want to try and improve as a player and I believe playing for Albion will help me do that.

“I want to be a player who can help push this team forward and create plenty of opportunities in the final third of the pitch.”

Swift continued: “I’m really excited to come into this team and try to help it score more goals.

“When you look at the squad, there are some really, really, good players here.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of fighting all season for a shot at promotion.”

Albion finished 10th in the Championship last season, their lowest league finish for more than 20 years.

But there struggles last year didn’t put Swift off moving to The Hawthorns.

“I’m sure the club would have wanted to finish much higher last season,” Swift said.

“But missing out on promotion last season didn’t put me off coming here because when you look at West Bromwich Albion in the Championship you automatically think about them challenging at the top.”