Swansea City goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has praised the impact of Alfie Mawson at both ends of the pitch.

The 23-year-old centre-back has been influential since Paul Clement’s appointment, and was key in the win over Leicester City, even scoring the opening goal with a spectacular volley.

That was his third goal of the season, his first since signing from Barnsley in the summer.

Mawson has completed 90 minutes in each of the last 11 games, having only played three times in the opening 14 Premier League fixtures.

What did Fabianski say?

Fabianski said: “Alfie has been a real plus for us – his defending, his quality on the ball, his goals.”

“He is a very important figure on the pitch," the Swans goalkeeper continued. "He’s a very good defender and is comfortable on the ball. It’s his first season in the Premier League but you can see he is improving with every single game.”

Alfie Mawson challenging Shane Long. (Photo: Paul Jenkins/Getty)

The shot-stopper also claims that Mawson’s goals have been very important to the side, as they all came in victories, but that it is his teammate's defending that has really impressed him.

How big a future does Mawson have?

Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins and the recruitment staff have come under scrutiny for the last two years, with the quality of players brought in being less than previous years.

However, signing Mawson for a fee reported to be around £5 million should really be commended, especially for a young English player that has been able to have the impact he has in his first Premier League season.

He has made 67 clearances, 14 blocks and 10 interceptions since he came into the side against Sunderland on December 10th. He has also managed 1.1 successful tackles per game this season.

Alfie Mawson successfully tackling Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez. (Photo: Geoff Caddick/Getty)

He is also a wonderful passer, which makes sense as he came through the same Barnsley youth group as John Stones.

Against Leicester he had a passing accuracy of 86%, slightly up from his season average of 81%.

His technique is already superb and at just 23 there’s still room for improvement. He looks like a real captain on the field, leading several Swansea fans to call for him to be the next skipper of the club.

Mawson will next be in action at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea on Saturday 25th February, at 15:00.

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About the author
Jack Mceachen
Sports Journalist in Staffordshire University.