Swansea City confirmed the signing of former Bristol City midfielder Liam Walsh earlier today.

The 23-year-old left Ashton Gate after struggling to fully breakthrough and heads straight to a divisional rival in Swansea City.

The Swans beat Coventry City to Walsh's signing, despite the young midfielder having a very successful time with The Sky Blues during their League One-winning season.

Walsh, who was born in Huyton and progressed through the youth system at Everton, spent the majority of last season on the sidelines, with a continual thigh injury confining him to just three appearances.

During his first interview as a Swansea City, the 23-year-old spoke to the Bristol Post about Steve Cooper's influence on convincing him to join The Swans as they embark on another promotion challenge: 

"It’s been a long summer for me, especially after the way last season went. But everything the gaffer said to me (about Swansea) was exactly what I wanted in a club, and I cannot wait to play in front of the fans at the stadium,” Walsh said.

“I also knew a few of the lads here and they had nothing but good things to say, but I spoke with the gaffer more than any other managers I had spoken to at other clubs.

“The belief he was putting in me, and the fact he has known me from a young age helped me a lot. He knows the type of player I am."

In the same interview, Walsh spoke about another influence on his decision to join Swansea: "I also spoke to Korey a lot about the possibility of coming here, and he was on my case pretty much every single day, to be honest."

The verdict

Walsh is a player who brings energy and intensity to the midfield and for that reason, he will suit Cooper's demands excellently. The Swans possess a very strong midfield already and Walsh adds additional competition. 

He is also a player who likes to get stuck in and has the desire to win the ball back for his side, whilst possessing the technical ability that is needed to succeed at Swansea.

Coventry will be sad not to reunite with the 23-year-old, but last season's injury record could escalate and become a real problem if not monitored carefully. 

Walsh has all the tools to succeed under Cooper and it will be no surprise if he becomes an integral part of Swansea's midfield next season, but he will have to work exceptionally hard for the demanding Steve Cooper.