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Garry Monk has revealed he is stepping aside as Swansea City skipper – to hand the armband to Ashley Williams.

Monk, the man who captained the club to all four promotions on the way to the Premier League, has admitted he has agonised over a decision to let Williams skipper the side on a permanent basis.

But he claimed the time was right to make the classy call during the Swans’ pre-season tour of the Netherlands, wrapped up on Saturday with a 1-0 win over ADO Den Haag.

Yet, while Monk will stand aside for Williams to take up the matchday duties, the 34-year-old has insisted he won’t give up on his role as club captain – and is not about to give up on his first-team hopes either.

Monk has become the third man at centre-half over the past two seasons, most recently seeing Chico Flores establish himself as first choice next to Williams.

But, despite looking like he was set for the exit door early last season under Michael Laudrup, he bounced back to play another key role in the Premier League campaign.

Williams, 29, has skippered the side in Monk’s absence but now the former Southampton scholar says the time is right for it to happen every week regardless of his own presence.

Yet, having fought to prove his worth under Laudrup, it is clear the popular defender is determined to underline his value once more as the Swans prepare for campaigns both at home and in Europe this year.

“I can only speak from my point of view and my view is that Ash has been consistent for the last couple of years and I haven’t been a regular,” said Monk, who made 15 appearances last year.

“Even though I have been involved a lot and played my fair share of games, I just feel that with Ash being there consistently and leading the team out when I’m not on the pitch to have that continuity is the right thing.

“And I’m more than happy for it to be the case even if I am playing because it feels right for me. As club captain I will still have responsibility and I will carry out my duties off the pitch. And when I am playing I will be a leader – I think the lads see that anyway.

“But personally I feel the captain on the pitch should be one person and Ash has been there consistently.

“It’s been an honour to have the armband and that will never change, but I spoke to my missus and my family about it over the summer because it was something that had been bothering me.

“I am not about to give up on anything or any of my duties at the club or the community, but to wear the armband ... I feel it is the right thing to have someone doing that consistently.”

Monk, signed by Kenny Jackett in 2004, was a stand-in skipper himself during his first season at the club, taking the armband in Roberto Martinez’s playing absence.

And it was from that role he led the club to League Two promotion before being installed as club captain on Martinez’s departure the following year.

He has held the position despite losing his automatic spot under Brendan Rodgers and then Laudrup, the Dane backing his status as skipper despite placing question marks over his future in the first few months of his tenure.

And he collected the League Cup trophy alongside Williams when Swansea made history at Wembley last season by beating Bradford in the Capital One Cup final.

Monk has come under no pressure to change that status quo – but now wants to press home his point that he can start alongside the man he has offered the armband to.

Laudrup has recruited Jordi Amat as the fourth centre-back for the season having told Alan Tate to find a new club and okayed Kyle Bartley’s loan move to Birmingham.

And Monk said: “I want to play every week and that determination will never change. I still feel good, I feel sharp and I feel I am doing all right in training and in the games and I will never give up fighting for that shirt until the day when I feel physically I can’t continue.

“I think if I look after myself barring an injury I have still got a lot to offer. A lot of people have written me off in terms of Premier League standards but I think I’ve proved I can still do it in the games that I have played.”

“I told Wayne Routledge as we left the pitch on Saturday I will compete until the bitter end because I miss playing every week.”