Swansea defender Neil Taylor signs new contract
Wales international commits to Swans
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Your support makes all the difference.Swansea defender Neil Taylor has signed a new long-term contract.
The Wales international's three-and-a-half-year deal will keep him at the Liberty Stadium until June 2016, the Barclays Premier League club announced on their official website.
Despite being sidelined for the rest of this season with a broken ankle, Swansea were keen keen to increase his current deal with a one-year extension.
Taylor, 23, dislocated and broke his ankle in three places in a league game against Sunderland on September 1.
As part of his recovery schedule, Taylor recently spent a week at the Football Association's new St George's Park national football centre.
"We spoke about a new contract before I broke my ankle, but when something like that happens you do wonder what will be," Taylor said.
"But in fairness to the chairman (Huw Jenkins) he texted me the day after the injury and told me not to worry about the contract. Full credit to the club, they have been as good as their word.
"Both myself and the club are happy with it. I see my long-term future here - everything is right for me.
"I love the style of football, the area and the fans, who have been great to me. And, more importantly, my family is happy here.
"The club is still on the rise. To reach the dizzy heights of seventh or eighth in the Premier League is amazing, especially when you consider where the club was just seven years ago.
"I am convinced we will still be in the Premier League next season. For a club like ours to have three consecutive campaigns at this level will an unbelievable achievement."
Reflecting on the long road back to full fitness, Taylor said his rehabilitation was going "better than expected".
"St George's Park is an amazing place," he added.
"I've trained at altitude there and done pool work with a special buoyancy suit on. I will definitely try to go there again, even if it's just to get away from the boys for another week!"
Taylor suffered a minor setback after one of the screws in his ankle broke recently, and that was due to be repaired today with a minor operation.
"It's a setback, but nothing serious," he said. "It has been giving me a bit of pain, but I am sure I will be back on track soon.
"I would like to think I am still ahead of schedule, and I would still like to join in training with the lads before the end of the season.
"But if I have to do an extra two or three weeks of rehab to get it right, that is what I will do.
"At the start, I was setting myself this target and that target. Now, I have learnt not to look any further than one week of rehab at a time.
"It's hard sometimes just watching the boys walk out to training, even in the freezing cold and rain, but it's something I have got used to and this new contract will certainly give me a boost with my rehabilitation."
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