Swansea City interim boss Alan Sheehan is urging his side to stay laser-focused ahead of their clash with Hull City on Good Friday - even as the buzz surrounding Luka Modric’s surprise involvement at the club continues to grow.
The Swans head into the fixture on a high, having racked up three straight wins and clean sheets, part of an impressive run of 17 points from their last nine games.
That surge has lifted them into the top half of the Championship with just four games to play—and the sense of optimism at the club is palpable.
“I think we are in a positive place, so it’s beautiful to have that feeling,” said Sheehan.
“The aim has to be to keep it going. It’s a case of one game at a time, and Hull will be a difficult challenge with how they are doing and they will be battling for the points they need to stay in the division.”
But while the immediate focus remains on results, there’s no denying that the arrival of Modric as a minority stakeholder has ignited fresh excitement around the club—and brought global headlines with it.
"I'm not sure," Sheehan admitted, when asked what the Croatian’s exact role would be.
"I think he's obviously involved with the ownership and that kind of stuff. The conversations I don't really get into.
"It doesn't change what we have to do right now until the end of the season. We're obviously incredibly pleased to have him involved at the football club, and somebody like him.
"He is a magician of a footballer. Just an incredible player. To have him here and involved in the football club can only be another positive move.”
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With the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner’s name now tied to Swansea, Sheehan believes the club could become a more enticing destination for players in the future.
“Does it attract better players? Does it attract better people to the football club? Yeah, definitely. I think it could be a pull.
“It could be the difference between signing somebody and not signing somebody. It could be the little bit of difference that you need.”
The news has electrified both supporters and players alike, with Sheehan revealing an extra spark in training this week.
“I think there’s a good feeling all round. I think when good things are happening on the football pitch and then you get positive news about Luka Modric, it’s all really good timing.
"It gives the fans that opportunity to dream and wonder if this is going to be it. Is this where we’re going to make the first turn in where we want to get to.
"I think they're all the questions now that will hopefully be answered in time."
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Still contracted to Real Madrid until the summer, Modric made a cameo appearance in midweek in their Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal.
While his playing future remains up in the air, Sheehan laughed off any hopes of the Croatian donning a Swansea shirt.
“It’s hard to know,” he smiled.
“You’d probably have to ask others about recruitment and that. But if he wants to come down for a five-a-side we can make way for him.
“He’s one of the greatest midfielders of our generation and he’s a legend of the game.
“It’s wonderful to have him at the football club and wonderful to have that knowledge and advice from somebody like that, but I’m quite happy with our midfield at the moment!”
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While Modric’s involvement could pay long-term dividends—both commercially and on the pitch—Sheehan is determined to ensure it doesn’t distract from the current mission: finishing strong.
“We have decent momentum, but we understand that can get taken away from you if you take it for granted,” he said.
“We have the challenge of finishing as high as we can, we need the group to believe in that and at the moment you can see a very good team.
“We do not want to take our foot off the pedal, we want to continue our good run.
“This will be a tough test, we had a difficult game up there, Ruben (Selles) has done a good job there but we know we have a big crowd coming and we want to try and win another game.”
