CHESTERFIELD nemesis Nathan Byrne described his returning skipper as a key player in Swindon Town’s expansive style of play.

In Thompson’s absence Byrne and his teammates still scored four goals but conceded five in a loss and a draw. The captain’s return prompted a 3-0 win at the Proact Stadium to take Town third in League One.

Byrne scored one and assisted one against the Spireites, picking up the Adver’s star man rating, but he picked out Thompson as a vital figure in Town’s team.

“He’s a key player for us with his leadership,” said Byrne. “When we play free-flowing football, sometimes we are going to be out of position that’s just how our formation goes.

“He’s very reliable at the back and he helps us out a lot, so that when we do get into certain situations in the game he can recover and get us out of jail really.”

Despite his individual efforts the wing-back was most pleased by Swindon’s clean sheet, he added: “The main thing was we got the clean-sheet.”

“We've been disappointed with the results in the last three games and we wanted to put it right.”