21-Year-Old Defender Labelled As Swindon Town’s Surprise Package

Swindon Town’s resurgence under Ian Holloway has been nothing short of miraculous.

Just before the fan-favourite manager took over, the Robins looked set to be entrenched in a relegation battle. However, the former Crystal Palace boss has certainly had the desired impact since his appointment in October.

The former top flight team now sit comfortably in mid-table, having beaten league leaders Walsall at the weekend. Despite the ongoing feud between the supporters and owner Clem Morfuni, Holloway’s reign has brought about more positive times on the pitch.

There have been plenty of emerging stars for Town in what has been a rather crazy season, but one young defender who started the season playing non-league football has been the surprise package since he was recalled from his loan spell early.

Billy Kirkman labelled as Swindon Town’s surprise package

Football League World spoke to their resident Swindon fan pundit, Ciaran, about which player he has been the most surprised by this season in a positive or negative way.

Ciaran responded: “The player that surprised me the most is Billy Kirkman.

“He joined in the summer from the Welsh side TNS [The New Saints] and he was very much an unknown quantity. It’s no disrespect to the Welsh league, but League Two is a step up from there. It’s probably the equivalent of the National League.

“He got sent out on loan to Weston-Super-Mare, which we expected to happen. He got an injury just before the season started, so he needed to regain some fitness.

“Holloway recalled him into the squad. The Vertu Trophy tie at Wycombe Wanderers was his first game and on his full debut. He then slotted into the team from that moment onwards, up until he got his most recent injury, but he was absolutely fantastic at left-back.

“People were wary of him and didn’t know if he could perform consistently at League Two level, but he performed in every single game that he’s played very consistently.

“He’s become a vital player, there was real disappointment when he got injured. He’s come in, worked hard, and done everything in the right way. I can’t wait to see him back in the side.”

Kirkman breakout a real positive from topsy-turvy season

Before a ball was kicked, the expectations were set that Swindon would be towards the top and challenging to get themselves back into League One. However, with the club sitting 22nd in late October, that expectation would seem rather farfetched.

Recalling Kirkman proved to be a stroke of genius by Holloway, who was stuck between a rock and a hard place with his team selection before the game against Wycombe. That EFL Trophy clash allowed him to evaluate his young players, and the full-back grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Despite doubts over whether this was just a one-off or not, the 21-year-old soon proved those doubters wrong with a string of good performances which earned him a spot in the starting XI.

It would be fair to say that Swindon unearthed a gem in signing Kirkman, and Holloway’s decision to recall him from Weston-Super-Mare has allowed him to flourish in the EFL. After what can only be described as a mediocre season so far, the Robins will take Kirkman’s emergence as a real positive.