Why ex-captain Grimes could get rough Swans reception
Matos on the potential fans' reaction to the return of Matt Grimes
- Published
Matt Grimes makes a first return to Swansea City this weekend with Vitor Matos insisting it is not his place to decide how home fans will respond to their long-time club captain.
Grimes was booed by some away supporters during Swansea's defeat at Coventry City in December, a reaction Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard described as "incredible"., external
Coventry skipper Grimes is now set to play at the Swansea.com Stadium for the first time since ending a 10-year spell in Swans when he moved to the CBS Arena 14 months ago.
Matos says Grimes is respected at his old club – but says his only concern is that home supporters back his team as they try to topple the Championship leaders.
"I've not too much to say about it - he's a player for Coventry," the Swansea head coach said.
"At the time here at the club, how the fans react is how the fans react, there is nothing much I can say."
Matt Grimes spent just over a decade as a Swansea player before leaving in a deal which could eventually be worth £4m including add-ons
Grimes joined Swansea, who were then a Premier League side, from Exeter City in 2015 for £1.75m.
Though his impact was limited during the club's spell in the top flight, the midfielder established himself as a key figure following their relegation from the top flight in 2018.
Grimes was a regular in the second tier, going on to make 333 Swansea appearances and captaining the club for five-and-a-half seasons before leaving for Coventry.
His exit came despite the fact that he had signed a new contract in August 2023, with Coventry – who were only four points above Swansea in the second tier at the time – getting their man after a third bid was accepted.
Luke Williams, who was Swansea boss at the time, said his captain's exit came as a shock but that football was a "dog eat dog" business, while Grimes said Coventry's "ambition" was the key factor in his move.
He helped Lampard's team reach the play-offs last season, while they are on course for automatic promotion with eight games remaining in this campaign.
Though Matos did not work with Grimes, he says the 30-year-old is well thought of at Swansea.
"[There is] a lot of respect for what he was at the club," he added.
"That's something that we always need to have. Now he's a Coventry player, on the pitch it's 11 against 11 and that's what we need to think about it."
He added: "The most important [thing] for us is that our fans will be with us in every situation of the game, that they can push us in a hard game and for sure we will need them because it's our home stadium and the connection has been unbelievable."
