Cape Town - Swansea City defender Angel Rangel believes that by staving off relegation the club proved that they can stay in the Premier League for a long time.
The Swans were rock-bottom of the league standings half-way through the season and looked set for relegation to the Championship, but manager Paul Clement led them to a 17th-position finish.
City won four of their last five top-flight fixtures to avoid the dreaded drop, and Rangel admits it has been his toughest season at the club.
“It was a tough season - in my 10 years at the club I would say it has been the most difficult,” Rangel told the club's official website.
“In the last couple of seasons we have had some harder times but we have always pulled through.
“This year it was really, really close. It has been really hard, really stressful. But since January I think we have had a fantastic five or six months. We have done really well during that period.
“A lot of people said we were down at Christmas – all the experts said that. But I think we have shown that Swansea City can be a Premier League club for a long time.”