Leon Britton admits he considered hanging up his boots this summer.

But the 34-year-old could not resist leading Swansea into the new campaign at Southampton .

Britton helped the Welsh side narrowly avoid Premier League relegation last season and remains a key figure for head coach Paul Clement.

“There were times when I thought about calling it a day, I’m not going to lie,” Britton said.

“But there’s no better buzz as a footballer than stepping out on the pitch on a Saturday. I don’t know what’s going to happen this season, but I still feel fit and strong.

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Image:
Getty Images Europe)

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“When you play in big games, there’s huge pressure, but it’s enjoyable. I still feel like I can compete at this level.”

Britton will captain Swansea at St Mary’s while Gylfi Sigurdsson will sit out the game as he nears a £50million move to Everton.

Fernando Llorente is missing with an arm injury suffered on holiday, with Chelsea loan star Tammy Abraham set to start alongside Jordan Ayew in attack.

Swansea took just five points from their first 10 Premier League matches last season.

Britton has been at Swansea through thick and thin (
Image:
John Peters)

And Britton, who has made more than 450 appearances over two spells in South Wales, is determined to make a fast start this term.

“This squad is one of the best I’ve been involved in in terms of team spirit for a long, long time,” Britton added.

“I’m not saying there have been bad eggs in the past, I just feel this squad is really together.

“Hopefully this year we won’t have to worry about a slow start. We know it’s going to be tough again because the Premier League is what it is.

“It’s a challenging league and if we don’t perform, we know we’ll be in trouble and in a relegation fight. We don’t want that – we want to be able to enjoy the season.”

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