Steve Cooper has revealed Jake Bidwell turned down offers from other Championship clubs before joining Swansea City.
The Swans announced the 26-year-old as their first signing of the summer on Tuesday, with Bidwell joining the club on a three-year deal after been released by Queens Park Rangers.
Former Everton youngster Bidwell has made a combined total of more than 200 Championship appearances for former clubs QPR and Brentford and will ease the burden on the left side of Swansea's defence following the exit of Martin Olsson.
And Cooper believes his new signing's talents will suit the style he is hoping to implement at the Liberty Stadium.
“I’m delighted with the signing,’’ the manager told the club's official website.
“Jake had offers from a lot of Championship clubs, so the fact that he believes in what we are doing here speaks volumes. It shows he really wants to be part of it.
“Jake has a wealth of Championship experience with around 200 games at this level, including a promotion and a place in the league’s team of the year.
“He is a left-back who fits the way we want to play. He can go forward and attack, plus he’s a very good and efficient defender. We are going to need both aspects with the brand of football I want to play, both with and without the ball.
“There is a great spirit among the group we have here, and it was vital we did our due diligence on Jake as a person as well as a footballer.
“We are going to be selective with everyone we bring in to ensure they have the right character to supplement a group that’s already together in a positive way.
“It’s really important to me because if we achieve what we want to achieve then everyone has to be pulling in the same direction - and the right direction.
“I spoke to a lot of people about Jake’s character. Leon (Britton) also spoke to Angel (Rangel) about him as they played together at QPR. Everything came back positive.’’
Bidwell is set to link up with his new team mates - who are currently away in Spain for a week-long training camp - on Wednesday.
