Former Rangers target Morgan Whittaker has been hailed by Russell Martin after the forward finally got his Swansea career off the ground.
The 22-year-old impressed in the first half of the campaign on loan in League One with Plymouth Argyle, before he was recalled by the Swans in January but was not immediately handed a first-team opportunity. Instead, he was kept on the fringes of the squad, rarely making Martin's matchday squad, but his form in the English third tier attracted the eyes of Rangers.
Michael Beale spoke openly about their interest in luring the attacker to the Scottish Premiership but Swansea knocked back a series of bids while Whittaker attempted to force a move north of the border. He ruled himself out of the clash with QPR when Martin had planned to include him for the fixture, but in the end a deal could not be struck and Whittaker remained in Wales.
Following the hardline stance, Whittaker was limited to appearances off the bench and appeared to be drifting from Martin's plans ahead of the summer window. But he has now burst onto the scenes after being handed his first start since his loan deal was ripped up.
Whittaker led the Swans' frontline and found the net within two minutes of the clash with Stoke City. The strike couldn't prevent his side slump to a 3-1 defeat, but Martin revealed that talks with the player saw him rethink his role in the team.
He told the club website after Tuesday's defeat: “Morgan did really, really well, and I am pleased for him. He wants to play in the middle of the pitch, he does not really want to be out wide but he did great when he was out there, as well.
“His flexibility will help us. His finishing ability will help us. We are looking forward to seeing him have a strong finish to the season.”
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