Swansea in talks with Sheehan over long-term deal

Alan Sheehan has taken 34 points from 18 games across two spells as Swansea's caretaker boss

Swansea City are in talks to appoint Alan Sheehan as their permanent head coach after the Irishman's successful spell as caretaker boss.

Sheehan, 38, has impressed since taking the reins at the Championship club following the departure of former boss Luke Williams in February.

As it stands, Sheehan is only in charge for Swansea's two remaining fixtures this season, at Millwall on Saturday and at home to Oxford United on Saturday, 3 May.

But talks over a long-term deal are said to be progressing well with Swansea optimistic they will reach a conclusion before the Oxford game.

Swansea have taken 23 points from Sheehan's 11 games in charge to pull clear of relegation danger in some style.

Sheehan was initially put in charge for five matches before he agreed in March to remain at the helm for the remainder of the season.

He has been interested in taking the role on a long-term basis from the outset, though he has repeatedly stressed that his ideas on the way forward must align with the club's vision.

Sheehan, a former coach at Luton Town and Southampton, joined Swansea as an assistant head coach in the summer 2023, when Paul Watson – his former colleague at Kenilworth Road – was the Welsh club's sporting director.

Swansea have won seven of their 11 games since Alan Sheehan took charge, with their only defeats coming against Watford and Burnley

Having arrived as part of Michael Duff's backroom staff, Sheehan took over as caretaker boss in December 2023, helping Swansea claim 11 points from seven matches before the appointment of Williams in January last year.

He returned to the backroom team before stepping up to the top job for a second time when Williams said his farewells.

At the time, Swansea were just eight points clear of the bottom three in 17th, with relegation concerns mounting after a run of seven defeats in nine league games.

But they have since delivered a remarkable upturn in form to climb to 11th in the table, 14 points clear of the drop zone and only six adrift of the top six.

Sheehan's side go to Millwall on the back of five straight victories, the club's longest league winning run since Roberto Martinez's Swansea registered six successive third-tier triumphs in 2007.