MASSIMO Luongo has been backed by Town boss Mark Cooper to make the grade in the Premier League.

Speculation has been rife about the County ground’s star midfielder all summer.

And with the player himself keeping counsel on his future at Swindon following his impressive full debut for Australia on Monday night there are bound to be plenty of suitors for the 21-year-old in January.

But as chairman Lee Power proved on transfer deadline day with Louis Thompson’s switch to Championship side Norwich City, the Australian won’t be allowed to depart on the cheap.

And Cooper feels that the player who went to Brazil with the Socceroos this summer has what it takes to be in the Premier League.

“I think he can go as far as he wants. He can run, he can play, he can tackle, he can head, he can score, so he’s got everything,” the Town chief said.

“If he keeps putting it all together he can play where he wants, he can certainly play at the top level for me.

“When I watch midfield players he can certainly compete with the ones in the Premier League.”

With Town back in action today for the first time since the shutting of the transfer window with a trip to Bradford City, Cooper has been delighted with the squad that he now has at his disposal.

He said: “I think we’ve recruited quite well,” he said.

“The chairman, myself, and the way we recruit has gone quite well on the whole.”

Cooper is also pleased to have brought in players who have been with Premier League clubs and looking to kick-start their careers, such as striker Jon Obika,.

“That’s the kind of player we’re looking at,”the Town boss said.

“It is a little bit of a niche market for us the kind of player we try and get. We identify players we think can come to us and flourish and go again.

The game is littered with people that are deemed surplus to that club and another team takes them and they end up going back to the top level.