New arrival will rock my world

DAVID Cotterill plans to “do a Bebeto” when Swansea City kick off the new Championship campaign.

The Welsh international hopes to celebrate the birth of his second child just days before the new season gets underway.

With wife Sasha due to give birth on August 4, Cotterill hopes to feature in Swansea’s opening game at relegated Hull City three days later.

And he aims to celebrate the new arrival by replicating the Brazilian legend’s goal celebration at the 1994 World Cup in America.

“It’s going to be a busy few days,” said Cotterill, who also has a three-year-old son, Kingston.

“The summer has been pretty relaxed for us. We’ve been to Marbella and chilled out there which has given Sasha some time to rest.

“But come the first week of the season it will completely hectic. The club are focusing hard on the game at Hull and it’s important we get off to a good start.

“Of course, a few days earlier I will be celebrating our second child and that’s very exciting for me.

“I’m really pleased that it is going to happen at that time.

If I can score at Hull that would be a lovely way to celebrate.

“I’ll have to do the Bebeto celebration then, which I’m sure my wife will love.”

Goal-count is something the 22-year-old midfielder is hoping to address this year.

In a goal-shy Swansea side last season, Cotterill managed four goals in 22 games under Paulo Sousa following his £600,000 move from Sheffield United.

It was a decent return considering the Liberty club notched just 40 goals in 46 games, but the former Wigan flier admits he is significantly raising the bar under new boss Brendan Rodgers.

“We struggled with goals last year because we were very defensive,” said Cotterill.

“Goals are a big part of my plans for the season. I didn’t score enough last season and I’m looking to address that.

“I don’t think the team’s lack of goals was down to the manager too much, the players were just mindful of protecting the defence and making sure we were solid as a team rather than going forward.

“I know the supporters were desperate for us to score more goals — you could hear the groans at half-time when we went in 0-0.

“I can understand their feelings, but this season we are hoping to be a more open side.

“On top of that, I’m really hoping to cement my place in the team as we were rotated a lot last year. The whole squad had to deal with that.

“It can affect your form if you are in for a few games and then out of the side, but that’s what the manager wanted to do and you can’t argue with that as it proved pretty successful given we finished higher than the season before.

“But I’ve got a lot of competition out wide. We have Nathan Dyer, Cedric van der Gun, Tom Butler and Mark Gower who can do the business on the flanks, so it’s going to be tough.”

Looking forward to his first full campaign at the Liberty, Cotterill wears a new number this term — the No. 7 shirt let vacant by Leon Britton’s move to Sheffield United.

And he feels Britton will prove a huge signing for the Blades, particularly as they look to build a gameplan around him.

“I spoke to Leon the other day and he has settled well up there,” added Cotterill.

“The manager (Kevin Blackwell) has told him he will change the style of play in order to get the best out of him.

“They have to do that because Leon is a quality footballer.

“There have been some good players there in recent years but they were not playing football the way they needed to.

“When I was there the emphasis was not on getting the ball down and playing fast football, and that meant I was a spectator for the majority of games.

“But Sheffield United are a massive club with 25,000 crowds every home game and the fans will take to him straight away.

“You see the way Britts covers every blade of grass and runs his heart out for his team, and that is what fans look for.

“He was a massive hit here and I think he can do the same for Sheffield United.

“They come down here on the final weekend of the season and that could be a massive day for both clubs.”