Steve Cooper made full use of his contacts book in January as he recruited three members of England's 2017 World Cup winning squad on loan.

Rhian Brewster and Conor Gallagher made loan moves to the Liberty Stadium either side of Marc Guehi's transfer to Swansea City from Chelsea in the opening month of what's been a remarkable year to say the least.

Brewster and Gallagher flew out of the traps in the Championship, although Guehi endured a mixed start to his loan stint with the Swans.

Consistency was a real concern for Swansea earlier on this year, and such was the club's defensive injury crisis, Guehi was thrust into the limelight at Stoke City on January 25 for what was his club debut.

After an impressive start, the visitors fell behind at the bet365 Stadium and went on to lose 2-0 as Guehi was robbed of possession at the death which allowed James McClean to cap off victory for the Potters after former Swan Sam Clucas had netted the opening goal.

In fact, Cooper's men didn't win in any of Guehi's first six appearances for the club.

However, the final game in that run served as a major turning point for the centre-back.

Since replacing the injured Ben Wilmot at Millwall in June, Guehi has started 16 matches on the spin for Swansea, playing the full 90 minutes in all but one of those.

The England Under-21 international has excelled in Swansea's back three, proving to be nothing short of a colossus in defence while also showing he's more than capable of getting his side up the pitch.

Such was the dramatic manner in which Swansea reached the play-offs on the final day of the 2019/20 regular season, Guehi's goal-saving tackle on Lucas Boye in the 4-1 triumph over Reading was as vital as it was underappreciated on a night where Wayne Routledge, Liam Cullen and Rhian Brewster hit the headlines.

It was fitting that his most recent impressive showing came in a 2-0 triumph over Stoke, almost exactly nine months after his tough introduction to the Championship in the aforementioned defeat in Staffordshire.

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The 20-year-old made four interceptions, two clearances and won five aerial duels while also playing a key part in Jay Fulton's opener against Michael O'Neill's side on Tuesday night.

It was the type of performance the Jack Army have come to expect from the young Englishman who, let's not forget, had made only two senior appearances for Chelsea prior to making the move to south Wales in January.

He's quickly become one of the select few who are quite simply undroppable at present.

And so to Cooper's words on the central defender back in January.

“Marc is a good player and will be a positive addition to the squad. He’s come through a hugely successful academy at Chelsea," said the boss.

“He’s athletic, but he can play comfortably with the ball. He is used to having the demands put on him to get the ball from the goalkeeper and start attacks.

“Defensively he is good and that’s obviously an important feature in senior football. In this league you come up against all sorts of sizes, and you have to handle it.

“He is definitely older than his age. He’s similar to Ben Wilmot in that respect.

“Marc is a calming influence and when he’s a lot older he will be a real leader and captain.

“That is what we want to bring here. We are a demanding and progressive group, and we will only bring in players that can enhance that.”

During the opening phases of Guehi's Swansea career, the defender copped some flak after initially struggling to adapt to first team football.

However, Swansea's coaching staff always remained confident about the youngster.

Fast forward the clock, and social media timelines are continuously filled with praise for the defender after each and every one of his latest starring roles.

Cooper put a lot of faith in the youngster by bringing him to the Liberty Stadium, and that faith is being repaid, and then some, as Guehi continues to be a class act in this division.