John Swift insists nothing less than promotion will do for West Brom
Promotion is the least West Brom's players want to achieve this season according to new signing John Swift.
The Baggies are currently in Portugal on a pre-season training camp where they will play their first friendly behind closed doors against Leyton Orient next week - after returning to training last week.
Ahead of that clash Steve Bruce is putting his charges through their paces, and Swift, who was one of the most wanted free agents in the Championship this summer, insists it is good to get back to it and get used to his new surroundings.
The playmaker also added that his focus this season is on achieving nothing less than promotion.
He said: "It’s good to be in, it’s not good to be running and doing the hard stuff that we’re doing but it’s good to finally be in, meeting everyone and the staff and the lads, so yeah I’m excited.
"It’s tough. It is tough, I can’t lie. But it always is, everywhere you go it’s always tough to come in, no matter how many runs you do away from here or on the treadmill.
"As soon as you get the ball involved, dribbling around cones and poles, it’s tough.
"But everyone expects it, it’s always the same. Beginning of pre-season is always tough, but once the pre-season games start to come you get a good feel of things and gradually start to build up some good team spirit.
"It’s massively exciting to challenge for the top spots. I think everyone else is excited as well, promotion is the least that we want, obviously we want to be higher and push for the automatic spots.
"Hopefully we can get a good start, especially at home. We want to make our stadium somewhere that other teams will be fighting to go and hopefully we can start really well.
"It’s a tough game to start, but there’s going to be tough games all season, but I’m really excited and I know everyone else is too."
Swift has also been impressed by the other business Bruce has done in the transfer window - bringing in Jed Wallace, another player who was highly sought after from clubs such as Burnley.
He added: "He’s a top quality player, he always has been for Millwall in the Championship. I think he’s been prolific in the past four or five seasons. It shows the intentions of the club, we want to be pushing right at the top this season and we need the good players in, and Jed’s one of the best in the Championship.
"I know his from when I was younger as well, from Portsmouth, so yeah it’s good to have him in and it’s good to be around the lads as well.
"I’ve known a couple of the other players before too, I knew Alex Mowatt from my younger England days, I know Callum Robinson as well. I’ve played against almost every player here quite a few times.
"It’s good to be in, good to be around the lads and get to know everyone, and obviously the staff too. I’m just glad it’s here now.
"I’m really excited, it’s a new challenge for me, it’s a new challenge for Jed as well. I can’t wait to start to be honest.
"I just want to get all the running out of the way now, I want to stay as fit as possible, as healthy as possible all season, so I’m available for selection and hopefully the fans will be able to see what I can do on the pitch."
