Football is said to be a universal language, but Ashley Williams is a key man when it comes to some of the Swans’s summer signings.
With the arrivals of Chico and Michu, the Spanish contingent has now grown to five at the Liberty.
Angel Rangel, Fede Bessone – Argentinian born but an adopted Spaniard – and Andrea Orlandi have been joined by two new amigos.
With the pair still brushing up on their English, Rangel, Bessone and Orlandi have helped them communicate on and off the pitch since their arrivals.
But Williams has also been lending a helping hand, as he explains.
“Both Chico and Michu haven’t been with us long and they are still learning to speak English,” said Williams. “You can get by on the pitch because you can understand what someone means with signals, but it’s obviously easier if you can speak the language.
“I can speak Spanish, not perfectly but good enough, as I studied it in college. It was actually the same time as Angel and Andrea were there learning English.
“So I can speak to Chico during training and games in Spanish and help him out a little. He’ll pick up the basic football terms in English soon enough, so he’ll be fine.”
As for the tour so far, Williams has nothing but positives to reflect on.
Despite a 2-1 defeat to the Colorado Rapids, Williams believes the time across the Pond will help the squad in their Premier League preparations.
“The facilities are excellent here and the time away has already given the new boys time to gel with the squad,” added Williams, who played in the first half against the Rapids.
“Michu only joined up with us at Heathrow Airport, so it was important for him to be around the boys and developing partnerships on the training pitch.
“We’ve also been training and playing in high altitude too, which is a big test, while the weather has been pretty hot too.
“But I think that’s a good test for us – dealing with different situations and challenges.
“So I think overall the tour has been a success so far. Everyone is looking forward to the remainder of the tour.”
Don’t forget you can catch Ash’s USA Tour Blog exclusively on Swans Player.
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Meanwhile, a youthful Swans beat Aberystwyth 2-1 at Park Avenue. Daniel Alfei and James Loveridge got the Swans goals.
Also, Swans duo Neil Taylor and Joe Allen were in action on Thursday as Team GB were held 1-1 by Senegal in their opening match at the Olympics. Allen was replaced in the second half after picking up a knee injury.