Swansea City defender Kyle Naughton has once again proven his importance to the side by providing an assured presence in place of the suspended Jake Bidwell in recent weeks.

Bidwell started the campaign as the club's first-choice left-back following his arrival at the Liberty Stadium on a free transfer over the summer, and he kept his spot on the left flank during Swansea's imposing start to the season which saw them win four of their first five league matches.

But the former QPR full-back was then handed a three-match suspension after the Swans lost an appeal against his Bristol City dismissal in mid-September, with this leaving them without the defender for a short spell.

This left Swansea boss Steve Cooper with a selection conundrum as he needed to choose between Declan John and Naughton as Bidwell's replacement, but John's injury against Watford in the Carabao Cup meant it was Naughton given the nod for Swansea's league match against Reading.

The 30-year-old did not put a foot wrong during his short spell in the side as Swansea drew 1-1 with Reading and then secured an impressive 2-1 victory over Reading at The Valley, with Naughton's solid performances seeing him keep his place in the side for the visit of Stoke.

This saw the former Tottenham man keep his spot in the team over the returning Bidwell, but Naughton's third consecutive start was short-lived as he was forced off with an injury after just 16 minutes and this enabled Bidwell to get back on the pitch.

However, Naughton's brief stint in the side provided a timely reminder of the versatility and stability he can still bring to Swansea's defence. He is a right-back by trade but he delivered two solid performances in the left-back slot during Bidwell's absence, as he did during Martin Olsson's injury spell last season.

Naughton has not always been heralded in South Wales. It would be reasonable to say that he sometimes struggled towards the end of Swansea's Premier League days, but he has proven over the last year that he looks much more comfortable in the Championship.

He made a total of 38 appearances last season with many of these coming as a result of left-back Olsson's injury in December which ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign, while Naughton also filled in at right-back and defensive midfield.

The Sheffield United product is always ready to make a contribution whenever he is required, and he also provides crucial experience in a youthful Swansea squad that needs figures like Naughton, Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer to achieve its balance.

He has also developed a knack of scoring occasional long-range efforts as he found the net with a measured strike against Millwall last term, before an excellent hit from outside the box against Birmingham back in August.

There would have been many Swansea fans happy to see Naughton leave the club following top-flight relegation, but the defender has since proven his worth to the Championship side despite not being a staple feature in the starting line-up.

The club's decision to bring Naughton to South Wales in January 2015 has certainly paid off, even if it might not have been in the way they initially envisaged.

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