Liam Cullen: Wales forward hopes to agree new Swansea City deal after derby goal
- Published
Liam Cullen's goal against Cardiff City was his sixth of the season
Liam Cullen says he hopes to sign a new long-term Swansea City contract after scoring a goal that "means everything" in their victory over Cardiff City.
Cullen's volley sent Swansea on their way to a 2-0 south Wales derby win on Saturday.
The homegrown striker, 24, sees his contract expire this summer, though the club have an option to extend the deal by 12 months.
"Everyone knows what I want to do," Cullen said.
"So hopefully we can sort something out - a few more years hopefully.
"This is home for me. I love playing for this club. I love representing the club. I love the fans and I love working with the staff and the manager, and obviously the players.
"It's just down to my agent and the club to work something out."
Cullen, from Pembrokeshire, joined Swansea as an eight-year-old.
He made his senior debut for the club in 2018 and scored his maiden first-team goal in 2020.
The forward established himself as a first-team regular last season, scoring one of his nine goals in a 3-2 success at Cardiff last April.
Cullen's first-half strike this weekend was his first derby goal on home soil - and it was a moment he savoured, particularly after Swansea were beaten at Cardiff last September.
"Since we came off the pitch at their stadium, we said that as soon as they come to us, we have to put it right - for ourselves, for the staff at the club who are lifelong fans, for the 20,000 and more who were here and those who couldn't be here," Cullen said.
"To score at that end in the first half and to go and celebrate with the East Stand [at the Swansea.com Stadium] - that's a feeling that will live me forever.
"My family sit in the West Stand and they always ask me why I don't celebrate with them. I told them you'd better get used to it, because I'm not going to celebrate with you - we'll celebrate after the game.
"I love this club to death so to score and win this fixture, it means everything to me."
Cullen apologised to Swansea's fans "for making it a bit more nerve-wracking" by failing to add to the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half.
Cullen stepped up after referee David Webb penalised Perry Ng for pulling Ronald's shirt, but rolled his spot-kick narrowly wide of the target.
Liam Cullen has scored twice in five south Wales derby appearances, having also found the target in Swansea's win at Cardiff last season
Cardiff improved after the let-off and pushed Swansea until Jamal Lowe sealed the points in the sixth minute of added time.
"I'll be practising from 12 yards for a long time next week, but I don't think I'm going to be allowed to take one for a while," Cullen added.
"When you miss a penalty like that but you win, ultimately, you don't care.
"As soon as Jams (Lowe) put that ball in the net, I flew down the line and I was one of the happiest people in the ground."
Swansea received a team-talk before the Cardiff triumph from the club's head chef, Chris Watkins, who is a lifelong fan.
His speech followed on from one delivered by kitman Michael Eames before Swansea's win at Cardiff last season.
"The chef gave the team talk before we went out for the game and I had goosebumps listening to him," Cullen said.
"This is the game. If you want to perform, this is the game. So to have people like that really showing what this game means always helps."
Liam Cullen made his senior Wales debut in last October's 4-0 friendly win over Gibraltar
Cullen was back at work on Sunday as he joined up with the Wales squad preparing for Thursday's Euro 2024 play-off semi-final against Finland at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Having made his senior international debut as part of an inexperienced side against Gibraltar earlier this season, Cullen is hunger to make an impression in a Wales shirt.
"There's a lot of top players in that squad so I might have to be a bit patient," he said.
"But for me, if I am not going to play, I just want to go in and try to help the lads prepare as best they can and give them a hard time in training so they are ready to perform.
"Then if I am called upon, I have trained well and hopefully I am ready to go.
"It's a week I am really looking forward to. I have not tasted a major tournament qualification yet and it's something I really want to achieve."