By Paul Jones
Jordan Morris reckons he and fellow Swansea City recruit Paul Arriola could be the start of a new wave of American talent rolling into the UK.
USA internationals Morris and Arriola could both be involved for Swansea’s FA Cup fifth-round home tie against Manchester City on Wednesday night.
Striker Morris, signed on loan from MLS side Seattle Sounders, has come off the bench in Swansea’s last two league games and is in contention for a first start.
Fellow forward Arriola only arrived on loan from DC United over the weekend but has impressed in training and might make the bench.
Morris had been tipped for a move to Europe for some time and the 26-year-old is convinced the flow of talent across the Atlantic – which once went mainly in the other direction – could be about to increase.
“I think the league there is growing, the talent is getting better. You see teams taking chances on young Americans more often,” says Morris.
“I was enjoying myself in Seattle a lot that the team was doing well, and I feel like I was developing really well there, but I had this itch that I wanted to try something new.
“There was some talk for the last few years, but I really felt this was the time to go, and I felt ready to make that jump.”
Recruitment from the States is something Swansea’s American owners hinted they would exploit when they bought the club four years ago, but their willingness to import from their homeland may have been curtailed by the experience of hiring the unsuccessful Bob Bradley as manager.
Majority shareholder Jason Levien is also a co-owner at DC United and Morris says the Swans co-owner played a role in his arrival.
“I think our owner in Seattle knows the DC United owner, so they were having some talks.
“But really, the manager called me, and that’s one of the things that sold me on it. He showed a lot of interest and just told me about the group and it got me really excited about the opportunity.
“I was excited and ready for a new adventure. I’m loving Swansea so far and the atmosphere and the group we have here is special.
“First and foremost, they’ve been so welcoming to me, it’s made my transition really easy, which I really appreciate.
“On the field, some really good players. It’s been exciting for me to be a part of it for this short time and I’m just excited to help in any way I can.”
For now, Morris is focusing on the Swans’ tie against the Premier League leaders and the opportunity of reaching the quarter-finals of a tournament he has watched from afar.
“It’s an amazing competition. I’ve watched for sure, so to take part in that game would be amazing.
“One of my buddies from the national team, Zack Steffen, plays there. It’s obviously a massive game so it’ll be exciting to take part in it.
“I think the group here, there is a belief within the team. Obviously, we knows they’re a really good team but I think the team is flying right now and is excited for the challenge.
“My biggest strength is getting in behind opponents and trying to stretch teams, that’s something the manager wants from me and sees that I can hopefully contribute.”
Swans midfielder Korey Smith is close to a return after four games out with a quad injury but young striker Liam Cullen, who scored twice in the 5-1 fourth-round victory over Nottingham Forest, faces a spell on the sidelines after undergoing recent ankle surgery.
Manchester City will remain without Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake for the match.
Aguero, who scored a controversial late winner when the sides last met in the Cup in 2019, returned to training on Monday after testing positive for coronavirus, but is not yet in contention to play.
De Bruyne and Ake are both continuing their own recoveries from injury, but Guardiola reported no fresh concerns ahead of the match.
Though the manager promised to start a strong side at the Liberty Stadium, he indicated a number of youngsters could also make the trip.