Swansea City: Garry Monk says he did not consider leaving

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Swansea manager Garry Monk has agreed a three-year deal with the club.

Swansea City manager Garry Monk says he did not consider leaving the club despite stories linking him with other Premier League sides.

The 36-year-old has agreed a new three-year contract which will keep him at Liberty Stadium until 2018.

Monk led the club to eighth in the Premier League last season with a record points tally.

"Of course you see the speculation but that's out of my hands and I can only focus on what I'm doing here," he said.

"My focus has been Swansea, so I'm really happy again to have this deal done so I can focus again on really trying to take the club forward."

Monk took over as interim manager in February 2014 following the departure of Michael Laudrup and was appointed on a three-year deal the following May.

In his first full season in charge at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea did the double over both Arsenal and Manchester United, and achieved their highest league finish since 1982.

Swansea's success led to Monk being linked with vacant jobs at and but he says leaving was never an option.

"Not at all, I was really focussed," added Monk.

"I really really enjoyed last season, it was hard work but enjoyable hard work and we've put a lot of good foundations in and I'm rally looking forward to building on that.

Image source, Huw Evans picture agency

Image caption, Garry Monk (left) was club captain when Swansea won the Capital One Cup in 2013

"[I'm] looking forward to taking this squad forward in the way I want to do it, so I never really had any thoughts about that [leaving]."

Monk believes the 2015-16 season will be the toughest in the history of the Premier League with clubs determined to maintain their place in the top flight before a new 拢5.13 billion broadcast deal comes into force the following season.

"In terms of the season coming up I think this will be the hardest season the Premier League has ever seen because of the TV money that will kick-in - simple as that," added Monk.

"Owners, management and the fans will all know that, so the pressure and the intensity of the games will be higher than ever before.

"We're seeing it now, teams are spending a lot of money on the players and their squads to make sure they can compete and stay in this league to make sure that they are in the position to earn that money, and that's what will make every game so crucial."

Monk, whose side begin the 2015-16 Premier League season away to champions Chelsea, has made four signings so far this summer.

Ghana forward Andre Ayew has arrived from Marseille, joined by Portuguese striker Eder from Sporting Braga, French defender Franck Tabanou from St-Etienne and Swedish goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt from Dutch side Heerenveen.