Leroy Fer can become a Swansea City cult hero

Midfielder Leroy Fer is proving the doubters wrong and is becoming a huge player for Swansea City.

The Dutch international has scored three goals in four games so far this season, being the only Swansea player to score from open play this campaign.

Despite his very decent goals return, Fer has generally impressed the Jack Army with a great array of passing and a big, strong presence in the middle of the park.

His physicality is also an asset. The 26-year-old wins a lot of 50/50s in the centre and offers something different compared to our other holding midfielders Jack Cork, Leon Britton and Ki Sung-Yueng.

The midfielder originally joined the Swans on loan from QPR back in February – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

I’m backing Fer to become a Swansea City cult hero and with regular game time, a recall to the Netherlands national team shouldn’t be too far away.

However, the former FC Twente man doesn’t come with a great reputation. We know the talent and quality that he possesses, but going by fans at his former clubs, he can easily go off the boil and start to become uninterested.

He suffered relegation with Norwich City in 2013/14 and again with Queens Park Rangers during the 2014/15 campaign, in seasons of no real optimism. Both were miserable terms in the Premier League and the pressure mounted as showings were not justifying his big price-tag – a combined £12.4m between the two transfer fees.

This isn’t to let him off the hook, but surely at a more stable club with more supportive fans, the real Leroy Fer will prevail and he can rise to his potential.

Fer looks highly motivated with the Swans and looks to really want to play for the club. If he can stay in that frame of mind, then the Dutchman will go a long way in becoming a Swansea fans’ favourite.

And I reckon he could well do that. Fer can become a very popular player at the Liberty Stadium if he gives his all on the pitch and remains consistent enough in his performances.

His opening four games in the Premier League have been tremendous, scoring a late winner in our only win against Burnley and then smashing in a towering header during a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City. Plus, he – controversially – scored a goal to help the Swans establish a lead against Chelsea last weekend.

Fer celebrates scoring against Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.

He is now possibly preferred to by Francesco Guidolin as Cork’s midfield partner, rather than club captain Britton and 2014/15 Player of the Season, Ki.

Looking forward – against tough opposition that includes Southampton, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal – Fer will have to keep on improving and testing himself, though. He can not afford to let any momentum slip and will have no option to slack, otherwise there’s a host of midfielders eagerly waiting to take his place.

We’ll have to wait and see if Fer can keep it up, but if he does, the Swans have got a real player on their hands. The £4.75m spent on the Dutch’s services could prove to be an absolute steal.