Joe Allen: Former Wales midfielder a leader for Swansea City, says Michael Duff
- Published
Joe Allen (left) missed the end of last season through suspension after a red card against Preston in April
Michael Duff says Joe Allen's blend of experience and humility makes the former Wales midfielder a role model within Swansea City's squad.
Allen made his first appearance of the new season in Tuesday's 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Northampton Town.
Duff has been impressed by the 33-year-old's contribution since he took charge at the Swansea.com Stadium in June.
"He has been brilliant for me since I have been here," said Swansea head coach Duff.
"He is a leader by example. He is not a ranter and raver - you would never know he has had the career that he has had.
"You talk about humility, he is the most humble man I have ever met."
Allen, who won 74 Wales caps before retiring from international football last February, played just over an hour against Northampton having been an unused substitute in Swansea's Championship opener against Birmingham City last weekend.
Allen's pre-season preparations were hindered by a muscle injury, the latest fitness issue he has faced since rejoining Swansea in the summer of 2022.
The Pembrokeshire-born player came through the ranks at Swansea, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2011, before moving to Liverpool and then Stoke City.
Having been limited to 24 club appearances last season - primarily because of injury issues - Allen's aim for the 2023-24 campaign will be to become a regular figure in Duff's Swansea side.
"The players can look at him and lean on him because you don't play at the level he has done for the time he has… you can tell by the way he looks after himself," Duff said.
"The fact that he'd had no minutes, not a lot of training and delivered a 60 minutes like he did [against Northampton] - that's a real positive for us."
Swansea will assess Allen's reaction to the Cobblers win before deciding what part he can play in the Championship fixture at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Ben Cabango will be involved at the Hawthorns having been left out of the squad for Northampton after what Duff described as "a couple of niggles".