Freddie Woodman has carried a play-off final winner's medal with him throughout Swansea City's season.

As Swansea prepare to do battle with Brentford for a place in the Premier League this weekend, the on-loan Newcastle United goalkeeper has sights set on one of his own.

The plan, Woodman says, is to "repay a family debt".

The medal, which is kept in Woodman's washbag, is from the 1997 Third Division play-off final, when Swansea were beaten by a last-minute free-kick scored by Northampton's John Frain.

It belongs to Woodman's father Andy, who kept a clean sheet that day for the Cobblers.

"It's the famous footballer takes washbag everywhere thing, although mine doesn't carry my hair gel, it carries my dad's play-off medal," Woodman says.

"It's such a long season, I think you can lose sight of what you are playing for.

"It's just a gentle reminder, a little nudge to say where you want to get to and why you are doing the work every day."

Woodman junior was only a couple of months old when Northampton broke Swansea hearts, yet he knows the story of the match rather well.

"My dad constantly reminds me of a top-handed save he made from Carl Heggs," the 24-year-old says with a smile.

"I have watched the highlights of that game for the majority of my life, since I was a youngster. He got the VHS changed into a DVD so we could all [continue to] watch it.

"Fate's a funny thing. I find myself now in the play-off final. Hopefully I can get my hands on a medal and give him his one back."

As well as Northampton, Woodman senior played for a host of clubs - including Brentford - before a coaching career which has included stints at Newcastle, Arsenal, Crystal Palace and now Bromley, where he is the manager.

The National League club face Notts County on Saturday in a game which will decide whether they make the play-offs, with kick-off coming two-and-a-half hours before Swansea face the Bees.

"I have got to somehow get my dad from Bromley's game to Wembley in time for our game, which is going to be absolutely impossible," Woodman says.

"But the chairman of Bromley has been very kind to my dad. He's managed to sort him a car to get him across town.

"He probably won't get there for kick-off, but he will get there at some point. The people I want to be there will be there - my mum, my sister and my dad."

Woodman's father came through the ranks at Palace alongside Gareth Southgate - and the England manager is Freddie's godfather.

As a child Woodman would watch England at Wembley with tickets arranged by the now Three Lions boss.

Woodman saw Palace - the team he supports - lose the 2016 FA Cup final at Wembley and did a lap of honour on the pitch after European Under-17 Championship success with England in 2014.

But the closest Woodman has come to playing at the home of English football was when Tottenham were tenants and he sat on the bench for Newcastle in 2019.

That will change this weekend, with Swansea hoping Woodman - winner of the Championship's golden glove in 2020-21 - can lay the foundations for victory by keeping a 23rd clean sheet of the season.

Raised in south London and nurtured on Tyneside, Woodman knew little about Wales until he joined Swansea for the first of two year-long loan spells in August 2019.

Two seasons down the line, the bond Woodman has built with Swansea is so strong that he is planning summer trips across the Severn Bridge to watch Wales' Euro 2020 games with friends.

"It's no secret," Woodman says, "I absolutely love living here and I love the football club."

When not on the training pitch, Woodman can often be found sipping a coffee in Mumbles or strolling on one of the Gower Peninsula's beaches.

There are always chats with supporters along the way, but they have been more frequent in the last few weeks.

"A lot of people have been talking to me about the play-off games," Woodman says.

"I've really enjoyed it. It keeps giving me a gentle reminder of why we are playing these matches."

And the message from fans?

"Don't let any goals in!" Woodman says. "One guy said 'don't let any goals in or I am coming for you'. It was an older bloke, which was quite funny.

"Most of them are proud of what the club has achieved so far and are just willing us on."

Victory over Brentford would mean a glorious end to Woodman's second Swansea loan spell. There would be a medal for the mantelpiece - or the washbag, perhaps - and memories to treasure, whatever comes next in his career.

Yet Woodman's response when asked what success would mean to Cooper's squad helps explain why he has rapidly become a popular figure in south west Wales.

"In my eyes this is a Premier League football club. The set-up is fantastic - the training ground, the stadium, the people who work here," he says.

"We know how much a win would mean to us, but our motivation is how much it would mean to the people of this city."