Fernando Llorente believes he can score the goals to keep Swansea City in the Premier League – so long as Gylfi Sigurdsson stays at the club.
Llorente’s two goals in the 3-0 victory over Sunderland made it four in three matches for the Spanish striker and temporarily lifted the club out of the relegation zone.
That effect may have lasted only 24 hours – until West Ham’s draw at Liverpool – but the former Juventus player believes he can add more if the Swans resist all offers for playmaker Sigurdsson in the January transfer window.
“Gylfi is an amazing player, of the very highest quality,” said Llorente who grabbed two goals for the second successive home match.
“It’s very important for the team that he stays with the club and I’m very happy for him that he is playing so well.
“We have to make the most of his contributions for the team. He makes opportunities for me and I enjoy playing with him.”
Llorente – nicknamed “El Rey Leon”, The Lion King, back in Spain – roared defiance that the Swans can climb out of the drop zone now they have leapt up from bottom spot.
“It was an important win because the situation was not good. But today, we tried to play better than on other days and we did improve.
“The difference was our intensity. It was very good from all the players. Everyone knew how important the game was and we reacted to that.
“But now we have to keep this going. It’s a crucial month for us and we need to keep this across four matches.
“This is the way we have to play, with more of the ball and intensity in our game. We were more aggressive today and I liked that.
“I am very happy to have scored two goals, but I still feel I can improve. I’ve worked hard and I’m maybe getting close to my best form. But I know there is more to come.”
The win was only a second in eight matches in charge for Swans boss Bob Bradley, but it has piled the pressure back on Sunderland.
After three victories in four games, manager David Moyes had talked of revival but now the Black Cats are back to square one in terms of their league position.
Llorente added: “Our manager was under a lot of pressure – that was clear – but now he is very happy that we have another win.”
Bradley has appeared to have his doubts about Llorente at times this season and even left him out of the visit to Tottenham following his two goals in the victory over Crystal Palace.
He may not be quite the force he was in Italy – where he won three Serie A titles – but at 31 the pedigree that made him a World Cup winner as part of the Spain squad in 2010 is still evident, even if the pace is not.
Swans midfielder Leon Britton believes the best of Llorente is now starting to become apparent after a slow start.
Britton said: “It is difficult when the lads come in from abroad to this league. But Fernando is someone with fantastic experience and it seems like he is starting to really settle down now. We are delighted for him – four goals in three games.
“He has a World Cup winner’s medal, he has played at Juventus. A lot of people haven’t got what he has got. He has taken some time to settle in but at the same time he has come into a team that lacks a bit of confidence.
“Over the years we have had strikers who have scored 15 plus goals and that has helped us stay in the league. Hopefully Fernando can be that man.”