'It's a great environment': Conor Hourihane on Swansea, 'fantastic' Steve Cooper and his Aston Villa future

There will be few players on show when the Championship play-offs kick off on Monday with such happy memories of this route to the Premier League as Conor Hourihane. The Swansea City midfielder, who is entering the final weeks of a six-month loan from Aston Villa, was a scorer as his parent club negotiated their way to the top flight via this pathway two years ago. But trying to judge what the tide of history will wash ashore next is a difficult task, even for those most familiar with the Football League's notorious end-of-season lottery.