Liam Cullen Signs New Long-Term Deal with Swansea City, Aims to Deliver

Striker Liam Cullen, who has been part of Swansea City since the age of eight, has declared his intention to reciprocate the club’s confidence after finalizing a new long-term contract. Following a prolonged negotiation period, the 25-year-old player officially committed to a deal that will keep him at his childhood club until the summer of 2028. “It’s obviously a massive boost for me knowing that they’ve got the confidence in me and they’re committed to me for the next few years,” Cullen stated. He added, “Any player that gets given a contract, it comes with expectations… but it’s something that I want to enjoy the pressure of and hopefully go and deliver.” Cullen had initially hoped to secure his long-term future last season, but the Championship club instead exercised a one-year extension option on his previous agreement. “I never wanted it [his time at Swansea] to come to an end, but it is always in the back of your mind that it could,” Cullen reflected. He further commented, “I didn’t really let it affect me, if anything I just let it motivate me to try and go and play even better for the club and to try and prove myself even more. Nothing is just handed to people.” Cullen ultimately demonstrated his value last season by scoring seven goals and has made a strong start this term, netting three goals in 11 appearances. Last week, Chairman Andy Coleman approached him, stating, “we want to get this [new contract] done.” Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Graham Jenkins, Cullen, who hails from Kilgetty, advanced through Swansea City’s youth ranks, consistently showcasing a keen eye for goal. He made his senior debut in August 2018 and has since scored 23 goals in 130 appearances. He is currently the Swans’ leading goalscorer this campaign and has become manager Luke Williams’ primary striker, a position he intends to solidify. Cullen remarked, “I played [number] seven last year, which I don’t mind because I want to try my best for the team… but I have always said that I want to be the number nine.” He elaborated, “I want to be in the middle at the top of the pitch. Hopefully now over the next few years I can do that and score a lot of goals.” Cullen added, “I’ve always scored goals through the ages at this club, it’s what got me in the first team in the first place. I think if I get the chances I am always confident I’m going to put them away.” Swansea has dropped to 17th in the Championship standings, with their last league victory occurring away to Coventry City on 21 September, a match in which Cullen scored. However, the team has experienced a recent goal drought, with their eight goals being the fewest scored in the division this season. They aim to rectify this situation in Saturday’s lunchtime fixture against Oxford United, who are positioned just one point ahead of them in the table. “It’s been really frustrating for us over the last few games,” Cullen admitted. He continued, “It has not been a common theme since the gaffer has come in. Up until this period I think we’re in decent form.” Cullen concluded, “For us now, it’s about working hard on the training ground and putting that right over the next few games before the international break.” Cullen is once again hoping for selection in Craig Bellamy’s Wales squad for the Nations League matches against Turkey on 16 November and Iceland three days later. Having progressed through various age-group levels, Cullen received his initial call-up to the senior national squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers in March 2023. Although he did not participate in those specific matches, he subsequently made his appearance in Wales’ 4-0 friendly victory over Gibraltar during the autumn. Cullen has since accumulated five senior international caps, including a starting role on his debut in Wrexham, and began the 1-0 win against Montenegro last month. He stated his admiration for the team’s performance since Bellamy’s arrival. Cullen commented, “The new manager has been really good, he’s brought a more attacking style to us, that suits me down to the ground.” He added, “I feel like it’s a bit similar to here, so it suits us lads from Swansea.” Cullen expressed hope, “Hopefully we can finish the Nations League really strong and go into the World Cup qualifiers with a lot of confidence.”