Swansea City could 'quite easily' have been where Sunderland are now, says Lukasz Fabianski; Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski says Swansea City could easily have been relegated had it not been for former Sunderland target Paul Clement.

Byline: Stuart Rayner

Lukasz Fabianski saysSwansea Citycould "quite easily" have been in Sunderland's position had it not been for the appointment of Paul Clement.

When the former Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich coach took over as Swans manager on New Year's day they were bottom of the table, four points from safety. Saturday's 2-0 win over Sunderland and Crystal Palace's 4-0 victory over Hull City on Sunday confirmed their place in next season's Premier League.

Sunderland, meanwhile, have been relegated and are set to finish the campaign in last place.

"A lot of people had written off Swansea when he arrived," goalkeeper Fabianski acknowledged. "I knew our situation was not the best and we faced a battle to stay up.

"No-one would have predicted at this stage of the season we would find ourselves four points clear of Hull (one ahead on January 1). It just shows you the corner we have turned since the manager came in.

"It could quite easily have been us in Sunderland's position."

Former Sunderland sporting director Lee Congerton recently confirmed the club spoke to Clement about becoming manager during his tenure, "but it wasn't to be".

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Clement had a miserable start in management at Derby County but Fabianski was full of praise for his impact on Swansea.

"He gave us confidence," he explained. "He demands a lot of hard work on the training ground. His work ethic is pretty amazing and he is always very well prepared when it comes to the tactical side of the game.

"You can clearly see why he has been at such massive clubs like...

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