Swansea City: Pain of play-off defeat will drive us on, says boss Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper says Swansea City will use the pain of play-off final defeat to Brentford to drive them next season.

Swansea missed the chance to return to the Premier League after a disappointing performance at Wembley.

Head coach Cooper is adamant his side will respond ahead of a fourth straight year in the Championship.

"I have always worked on the basis that although setbacks are the hardest thing, they are the most important thing that defines you," he said.

"So don't worry about me. You either sulk and things get even worse, or you come back fighting even stronger.

"That will definitely be this set of players' mentality because they have always done that.

"We have had to do that this season to get as far as this, particularly in the circumstances we've had to work in. That will be the lads' approach I am sure."

Cooper has only a season to run on the contract he signed when he took charge at Swansea in 2019 and has been linked with the managerial vacancy at Crystal Palace.

After three years of cost-cutting since Swansea were relegated from the Premier League in 2018, there will be further changes to the playing squad this summer with Andre Ayew thought likely to depart when his lucrative deal - a relic of the club's spell in the top flight - expires next month.

Wayne Routledge is another senior player whose contract is up, while Freddie Woodman, Marc Guehi and Conor Hourihane have come to the end of loan spells at the Liberty Stadium.

There may also be speculation over the futures of the likes of Matt Grimes and Connor Roberts, who are heading into the final year of their respective deals.

"Some players will come, some players will go," Cooper said.

"That's normal whatever league we were going to be in. We will just crack on with those plans now we know what league we are in. It's the Championship so we'll plan accordingly."