If his first three appearances are anything to go by, Conor Hourihane will be a hero among Swansea City supporters in no time.
The midfielder from Bandon has only been with the Welsh club for less than two weeks following his loan move from Aston Villa, but he has hit the ground running. A debut performance against Nottingham Forest which was described as "excellent" by manager Steve Cooper, was followed up by an important goal in his second appearance against Brentford.
He continued that impressive form with a quality strike against Rotherham, the opening goal in a 3-1 away win that keeps the Swans right in the mix for promotion from The Championship, currently in second place four points behind leaders Norwich.
💫 @ConorHourihane 💫
2⃣ in 2⃣ pic.twitter.com/yLUFbQG4tI— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) January 30, 2021
Hourihane has proven his ability from dead balls at both club and international level in recent years, but this was a brilliant strike on the half-volley with the outside of his boot that will excite Irish fans hoping to see more of the same over the coming months. A goal that validates the old 'wand of a left foot' label that has become a key aspect of Hourihane's game.
Hourihane found his first-team opportunities limited at Villa Park earlier in the season but he looks to have found his groove at Swansea, which is encouraging news for Stephen Kenny with the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifying campaign due to kick off in March.
Excellent finish from Conor Hourihane today pic.twitter.com/xwqKsopn3B
— Dave Donnelly 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@YeSecondPost) January 30, 2021
Conor Hourihane doing Conor Hourihane things. https://t.co/bSbXJrA3lg
— Cole Pettem (@TalkAstonVilla) January 30, 2021
Do any other fellow #AVFC fans think that we should recall hotshot Hourihane back from his loan... 😂#UTV #partofthepride
— Jon Hayes (@jonboy_avfc) January 30, 2021
Harry Wilson: ‘I’m the best loan CAM in the league’
Connor Hourihane: ‘Hold my Guinness’ pic.twitter.com/QZh4WRUYar— Luke 🦢🏴 (@scfclukey) January 30, 2021
