SWANSEA CITY MANAGER Steve Cooper has praised Conor Hourihane for the immediate impact that the Republic of Ireland international has had at the club following his loan switch from Aston Villa.

Hourihane has now scored in each of his three Championship appearances since making the temporary move on 20 January.

His latest goal was a superb long-range strike in Friday night’s 2-0 win over Championship leaders Norwich City, which leaves the Welsh outfit just two points behind the Canaries and with a game in hand.

“He is a player and a lad with a lot of humility,” said Cooper. “He is a high-level player, but he has bought into how we work. We work in a specific way and he has made a conscious effort to understand that.

“We didn’t think he would come in and score three goals in his first three games, but we will certainly take it. You do fancy him in those situations – Jay Fulton did brilliantly to show the composure to make the pass.

“But the moment the ball came to Conor, I think everyone in the stadium thought there was a chance that it was going in. Fortunately he did, he is providing another goalscoring option for us.”

🎥 Another look at @ConorHourihane’s stunning strike from every angle 📐 pic.twitter.com/yQAQKYCwEL

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) February 6, 2021

Having not played a club game since November due to losing his place at Villa, the move to Swansea has also allowed the 30-year-old midfielder to find form ahead of Ireland’s World Cup qualification campaign, which starts against Serbia on 24 March.

Cooper added: “His numbers are really good for a midfield player, that includes set-pieces too, and it’s great he has come in and scored goals. But it’s no surprise because of his record in seasons gone by.”