Swans midfielder Owain Tudur Jones wants his football to start doing the talking as he prepares to pull on a Swans shirt for the first time in 16 months.

The former Bangor City product just missed out on a place in the 16 for Friday night's game against Millwall after finally winning his long battle against injury.

Great things were predicted for the tall midfielder after making a fairytale breakthrough into League football following his £5,000 move from the League of Wales at the start of the 2005-06 season.

But a horrendous knee injury saw him knocked him back to basics and he spent the Christmas before last on his own in the snowyRocky Mountains in Colorado under the knife of world-renowned surgeon Dr Richard Steadman - the same surgeon who had operated on the likes of Michael Owen, Alan Shearer and Ronaldo.

The operation was deemed a success, but his long-awaited comeback a month ago was put on hold again following an ankle injury sustained in a Reserve team game. Now fully recovered, he's been added to Swansea's fit list.

"I've been here before,'' explained OTJ. "So I won't be happy until I step out onto the pitch wearing a first-team shirt.

"I was a couple of days away from being involved against Gillingham earlier in the season only to suffer a set-back. It was the same a month ago before the MK Dons game in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

"I've just been taking one day at a time; one training session at a time; and just keeping my fingers crossed.

"I'd be wrong if I said it hasn't been difficult being out for so long and then having your comeback snatched away when you are so close. That is hard.

"I've missed that feeling of nervous tension the day before a game and then when you run out onto the pitch. Nothing can replicate that.

"But I couldn't afford to feel sorry for myself. Nobody could do the hard work for me because I would never step back onto the pitch.

"What it has done though is make me a stronger character mentally and I hope I can carry that out onto the pitch when I eventually get there to make me a better, more mature player.''

Swans boss Roberto Martinez saw enough of OTJ when he partnered the Welsh speaker in the middle of midfield as a player under former manager Kenny Jackett.

And despite being out for so long, Roberto still stated last week that "Owain is going to be Wales's senior captain in the future.''

It prompted some raised eyebrows and a wry smile from OTJ.

"That's a statement and a half,'' said a stunned OTJ. "I'm honoured, but it's one step at a time first.

"I'd love to get my first senior Welsh cap; it would be a fantastic feeling if it happened. But I need to do my bit for Swansea City first.''

The Welsh Under-21 international feels he has a lot of catching up to do on the domestic front, plus a lot of faith and support to repay, especially to his current manager.

"I'm 23, not a young kid anymore, and I need to play,'' he adds. "You can only talk about a player with potential for so long. You've got to realise that potential sooner or later.

"The manager has been very supportive towards me from the very first day he arrived.

"We had a good relationship when we were both players at Swansea, but that relationship can only be improved by my performances on the pitch.

"I've still got a lot to prove to him.''

INTERVIEW: Jonathan Wilsher