European berth can attract better players to Swans, believes Ben

BEN Davies believes Swansea City will be able to attract better players now they have qualified for the Europa League.

Yesterday's stunning 5-0 Capital One Cup final win means Swansea can look forward to their first continental campaign for 22 years.

Already a club with a rising profile, Davies reckons the carrot of Europe could entice top calibre players to the Liberty.

"Every player wants to play in Europe so I'm pretty sure it won't be too hard to get players to come in," said the left-back.

"Europe is another big test for the club and something we're all looking forward to.

"It's a great feeling to be where we are now, everybody's over the moon in the camp.

"We showed our superiority and we thoroughly deserved to win.

"Our main aim was just to keep a clean sheet because we had the firepower to score at any point in the game.

"Our forward players were incredible for us."

Being part of the first Swansea team to win major silverware caps an incredible rise for Davies, who was playing youth-team football just a year ago.

And he believes there are other players in Swansea's academy capable of making the step up.

"It's pretty difficult to sum up the amount that's gone on in such a short space of time," said Davies.

"I was working pretty hard hoping for this and now here I am.

"If you look at the way I've come into the team, I'm sure if others were given the chance they'd do well, too.

"I'm sure they can come in and stand up.

"There's plenty of talent there and if they got the opportunity, maybe they could show how good they are as well."

Bradford had giant-killing pedigree, having already beaten a trio of Premier League sides on their way to Wembley.

But Swansea looked every inch a team three divisions above the Bantams yesterday.

Michael Laudrup's decision to play three wingers proved crucial as the Bantams had no answer to their speed and guile.

"It's great for us as a team and we're more than happy with how things went," said Davies.

"Europe is something we haven't really thought about as a team, but it's another big step for the club and one we're all looking forward to.

"This is something you only dream of, and to be where we are as a club now, it couldn't be better.

"We created a lot of chances and played some excellent football.

"That all goes down to the front four who played — they were excellent.

"The manager set us out in the way he wanted us to play and his gameplan came off."

Bradford initially looked to be targeting Davies with long balls forward, but never managed to cause any real danger.

They didn't have a shot on target until the dying minutes and that was a tame effort easily dealt with by Gerhard Tremmel.

"I suppose they may have targeted me because I'm smaller than Angel (Rangel). but if Ash goes up for a header I'll cover him, and if I do vice-versa," added Davies.

"That's the way we work and they didn't really create many chances from it.

"If we don't give them an opportunity to put the ball in the box, which we didn't, then it's pretty difficult for them to hurt us.

"We knew if we just sent them back rather than making the tackle we'd done our job.

''That showed with the scoreline and the chances they had."