LEE Power may have negotiated a six-figure fee and a return on loan but Louis Thompson was under no pressure to leave Swindon Town from the chairman.

The deadline day deal saw the 19-year-old have his registration shifted to the Norfolk for £600,000, with the potential to rise to over £1million, but the player return on loan to the County Ground until the end of the season.

Given the financial model the club are working with and the opportunity to make some seriously good money on a player they developed themselves, it would not have been unreasonable to assume the offer from Norwich for Thompson was too good to turn down.

However Thompson revealed that a phone call from chairman Power, a former Norwich player himself, left the decision to leave firmly in his own hands. Those words of support were greatly appreciated by the young midfielder.

“The chairman gave me a call and said what a big club it is and what a nice club it is. He said I was under no pressure to leave,” said the Wales youth international.

“It’s a nice comforting call that, because sometimes you feel you could be pressured by a club but that certainly wasn’t the case here.

“He just told me I need to do what I need to do, it’s all down to me and my fate was in my own hands. I like that pressure on myself to make a decision and that what’s going to mature me as a person.”

Town boss Mark Cooper confirmed that should his side reach the play-offs Thompson would remain available to him. However the player is unclear if a scenario arises whereby Town face the Canaries in the FA Cup whether he would be available to play against his parent club.