Ashley Williams has established himself in the heart of Swansea's defence

Swansea City defender Ashley Williams fears manager Roberto Martinez will leave the club.

Martinez is wanted by Wigan and Celtic and is holding talks with Swans chairman over his future on Thursday.

Club-record £400,000 signing Williams, who joined the Swans under Martinez last summer, is currently with the Wales squad in Azerbaijan.

"He is Mr Swansea City and if he goes it will be a big blow, but we will have to keep going," said Williams, 24.

"He isn't the whole club, he is a big part of the club."

Williams added: "Nobody wants the gaffer to leave, we are all his players and he brought most of us to the club.

"He has done a lot for us all, made us better players, and we all owe him a lot.

"If he goes then I don't know what will happen to the team. But if he goes and progresses his own career then I can only be happy for him.

"He signed me for Swansea from Stockport and has played me all season in the Championship. That is what I wanted and he has given me the chance to advance my career.

"But if he can now further his career in a higher league then I can only be happy for him."

Despite being away on international duty, Williams along with Swansea City team-mates Joe Allen, Shaun MacDonald and Owain Tudur Jones are being kept abreast of what is going on back in south Wales.

"I'm hearing about it all day every day what's happening," he said.

"We haven't been trying to find out, it's just been coming to us as it naturally would.

"It would be a massive blow [if he went]. I'm not sure who we would get in.

606: DEBATE It's about time we put this to bed once and for all. It's obvious Martinez wants to go and he has shown this by his silence friendlybigboytel

"We would have to pick ourselves up and go again, but it's the team as well as the manager that got us into this position this year and as long as the team stays together, we should be all right."

Former Stockport County captain Williams believes the style of football Martinez prefers to see his teams play is ideally suited to a high level.

"He has brought my game on tremendously and that has helped me at international level," he said.

"He wants us to pass the ball and play it out of defence, and to keep possession," he said.

"All those things are important the higher you go, particularly at international level. That style makes the game enjoyable, and the gaffer has a lot to do with that."

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