Swansea vice-captain Alan Tate confident club will compete in the Premier League: We are better defensively than Blackpool & will not go all or…

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Swansea vice-captain Alan Tate thinks his team will be ok in the top flight next season because they have a sound defence to go with their attacking prowess.

The Swans were promoted on Monday after beating Reading 4-2 in the Championship play-off final and they now have a big summer ahead as they prepare for Premier League football for the first time.

Tate has played a key part in their success last season and he says that since he joined the club, they have proved people wrong.

“We play the way lots of people want to see the game played,” Tate told The Telegraph. “We don’t know any other way.

“I think we’re a bit more defensively sound than Blackpool. I don’t think we go all or nothing.

“Since day one we’ve proved people wrong. When I first joined in 2002 we were six points adrift at the bottom and we stayed up. Everything’s been stacked against us for years so going into the Premier League is no different.

“We’ve improved every year.  It’s been one massive uphill ride. We’ve all got a point to prove next year.”

Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick for Swansea in the final and Tate is full of praise for the flying winger.

“He’s probably been the best player in the Championship by a million miles – not only has he got the end product but he works as well,” said Tate.

With Cardiff being at the top of the Championship for most of the year before being dumped out in the play-offs, Tate says the fans are thrilled to be the top dogs in Wales.

“For us to get there and Cardiff not is brilliant,” he added.

“It means everything for people in Swansea. It is bragging rights for our fans for the rest of their days.

“Nobody can take it away from us.”