Michel Vorm on his time at Swansea City, Lawrence Vigouroux, Luke Williams, Tottenham transfer & Illan Meslier/James Trafford praise | OneFootball

Former Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm discussed his time at the club and how his former side are faring now

Former Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm has praised Lawrence Vigouroux and believes his former side need to have a period of consistency if they're to return to the Premier League.

Vorm knows all about playing in the Premier League, spending three years with the Swans after they won promotion in 2011, and he was part of a squad that enjoyed some of the most memorable days in the club's history.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via 888sport, Vorm discussed the current Swansea team, reflected on lifting the League Cup in 2013, and justified his move to Spurs in the summer of 2014.

Lawrence Vigouroux praised for performances after Swansea City move

Vigouroux has been a standout player for Swansea since completing a summer move from Burnley, and he's quickly cemented his status as Williams' first choice goalkeeper, playing every minute of Championship football this season.

The 31-year-old has done things the hard way, joining Burnley after an impressive 2022/23 League Two campaign at Leyton Orient, but his time at Turf Moor saw him fail to make a single appearance, and he sealed a move to Swansea in July, becoming a Championship player for the first time.

After a season without playing, Vorm believes that Vigouroux will improve with every game he plays in the Championship, and says he's been impressed with Swansea's current shot-stopper.

He said: "Lawrence is a good goalkeeper. He made the big step to Burnley, but didn’t play. So now it is great for him that he is playing regularly.

"This brings confidence and match time and, with more game time week in week out, he can gain the form that got him the move to the Premier League side at the time. So, for him, the longer the game time, the better goalkeeper he will be, as he has the talent for sure.

"He is doing well for Swansea, and can get better with time."

Swansea need consistency if they're to return to the Premier League

Williams is Swansea's fifth permanent manager since they were relegated to the Championship in 2018, and a return to the top-flight feels like a distant dream to most supporters at the moment.

However, Vorm believes that Swansea need to take small steps if they're to return to the top-flight, and they'll do that by remaining consistent and having a clear philosophy, with the finances of relegated Premier League clubs making it a tough ask to win promotion.

He said: "It is so tough to get to the Premier League. It’s super competitive with the relegated clubs having more money and also bigger squads.

"It's all about having the right squad, the right manager, the right philosophy and everyone at the club on board with where you want to go.

"You need luck for sure, but the main thing is to be consistent over a period where you can progress towards the play-offs and then take the big leap up.

"There have been lots of changes at Swansea since my time, but by taking small steps and a positive journey forward, it is possible."

Winning the League Cup was like winning the Premier League for Swansea

Vorm was part of the Swansea squad that won the League Cup in 2013, the club's one and only major trophy, and the Dutch international looks back on it fondly, despite not playing a single minute on their road to cup glory.

He was rested for cup games with Gerhard Tremmel taking his place between the sticks, and despite Swansea going all the way, Vorm remained on the bench.

However, there are no hard feelings from Vorm and he points to the cup success as being a full squad effort.

He said: "For us at Swansea, winning the Carabao Cup was like winning the Premier League. It was huge for the Club and an amazing experience.

"Yes, I didn’t play, but for the team and club, it was a huge achievement."

Swansea beat League Two side Bradford City in the final, but the defining moment in their cup success came when they beat reigning European champions Chelsea in the semi-finals, a win that Vorm looks back on fondly.

He said: "We had a good squad of players and to win this game so convincingly as well was great. The semi-final win over Chelsea was arguably even better, beating one of the best teams in England at the time."

No regrets over Spurs move in 2014

Vorm brought his three-year stay with Swansea to an end in the summer of 2014 when he completed a move to Tottenham for a reported fee of £5million.

He would spend the next six years in North London before retiring in 2020, and he was largely second choice to Hugo Lloris, playing just 48 games during his time at Spurs. Despite this, Vorm has no regrets about his decision to leave Swansea.

He said: "No regrets. Spurs are a big club, and I spoke with Daniel Levy for a while, and he sold me the club, the ambition and where he wanted it to go.

"Yes, Lloris was already there, but for me, it was a move to compete with him. Spurs are a big club, and you look at the progression the club made during my time."

Current Championship goalkeepers tipped for big things

Vorm has praised Leeds United's Illan Meslier and Burnley's James Trafford, with the duo set to play an important role for their sides this season as they battle for promotion to the Premier League.

Meslier has made a number of mistakes for Leeds this season which has cost them valuable points, but it's not something Vorm thinks he should dwell on.

He said: "Both of them are talented goalkeepers. Both are young and have played in the Premier League and are gaining huge experience.

"Meslier has more experience, playing in front of a passionate Leeds home crowd every week, he has the tools to now step up and improve even further.

"Yes, he has made some mistakes this season, but he can continue to grow with each game he plays. Leeds are doing very well in the Championship, and it’s a credit to Meslier that he is number one and can show why in the run in to the end of the season."

Meanwhile, Vorm has been impressed with Trafford's performances for Burnley this season, and after a tough 2023/24 campaign in the Premier League which saw him dropped, he's bounced back well in the Championship.

He said: "Trafford is younger, but has still played a lot of games.