Laudrup: Ready for a big challenge

The Dane succeeds Brendan Rodgers, charged with maintaining and improving the club's top-flight fortunes following a sparkling debut season last term.

Rodgers, now in charge at Liverpool, inspired the Swans to an 11th-placed finish and won rave reviews for a stylish, creative approach that his players readily absorbed.

Laudrup, capped 104 times by Denmark and among the finest footballers of his generation at clubs like Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid, is seen by many as a perfect fit for Swansea post-Rodgers.

"As a youngster when I was living in Denmark we used to watch English football on television every Saturday afternoon," Laudrup said.

"I always thought there was something special about the atmosphere in English football.

"This is a great opportunity for me. It's a big challenge, but I did not want to be sitting on the couch at home in 15 years' time saying to myself 'why didn't I do it?'

"I never played here, but now I have the possibility as a manager."

Laudrup, 47, has confirmed that Erik Larsen, his assistant manager when he was in charge of Real Mallorca, is set to join him in west Wales.

But he will also take stock of what is at his disposal player-wise before looking to strengthen a Swansea squad that coped admirably last season when their scalps included champions Manchester City and Arsenal.

"We are going into the second season as a Premier League club, which is sometimes more difficult," he added.

"Now, everyone knows who Swansea are, how they play and what they do. You have to try to find some other things that can surprise opponents.

"To finish in the middle of the table in the first season was a fantastic achievement, but what the team did last season, that was last season.

"I would like a new beginning, to come in and see how things are here.

"But change for change's sake, I don't think that is good. To sign seven or eight players does not make sense."

Among Laudrup's immediate priorities will be potential talks with 22-year-old Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, whose playing future appears to lie with either a permanent Swansea move or joining Rodgers at Liverpool.

The Swans last month agreed a £6.8million fee with German club Hoffenheim for Sigurdsson after a successful five-month loan spell in Wales.

Rodgers' recent move to Anfield, though, has put a spanner in the works from Swansea's perspective, and he remains a player in demand.

"It's a special case," Laudrup said. "He was on loan here and did very well.

"As far as I know he has a possibility to go to another club. He is owned by a German club.

"I would like him to stay - he did very well here - but you have to look at a lot of things."