What Russell Martin did to Joel Piroe that jolted Swansea City into life as attitude issues dispelled

Joel Piroe is expected to be a wanted man this summer.

The Dutchman enjoyed a dream debut season at Swansea City, scoring 24 times in his 47 appearances for the club. Given his remarkable exploits in front of goal, it is thought he will be sold in the near future as the Swans bid to balance the books.

Shortly after putting pen to paper on a three-year contract having left PSV Eindhoven, Piroe opened up on his expectations for life at Swansea. And just 10 months on from joining the club, it's fair to say the 22-year-old has ticked every box emphatically when it came to his wishes for his time in south Wales.

In his first interview with the club, he said: "I want to play a lot of games and score a lot as well. I think it's really important for myself. It's time for me to play a lot.

"It's a big move, you go to another country, you don't know anyone here yet. At PSV, I had really good friends, but you have to look at your career and opportunities and this was the best move for me."

Despite a tough start to life at the club, Piroe wasted no time in proving his worth to boss Russell Martin. The head coach admitted earlier this year that he held concerns over the Dutchman's attitude after the pair's early conversations, although the forward quickly took the necessary advice on board and set about tearing up the Championship and allaying any fears his head coach may have held.

Since that opening month of the campaign, Piroe never looked back. However, the coaching staff and the player himself deserve immense credit for a tactical tweak which saw the frontman go from strength-to-strength.

Having already scored 12 goals before Christmas from the number nine position, Piroe played the majority of the second half of the 2021/22