SWINDON Town manager Richie Wellens will drop players from the first-team squad if they ignore outlined team values.

Wellens’ statement follows his decision to leave goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux out of Town’s matchday squad in recent games against Yeovil Town and Newport County.

Vigouroux has lost his status as Wellens’ first-choice goalkeeper to Luke McCormick for the first time since he took charge at the club back in November.

McCormick initially came into the side due to Vigouroux’s involvement on international duty, but the Town boss has made no secret of his fallout with the Chilean following his arrival back in the UK.

It was sparked by a text sent to Wellens the evening before Vigouroux was due to attend a funeral – which the Town boss had no prior warning about – meaning he would have to miss training.

Vigouroux was consequently left out of the matchday squad to face Yeovil last weekend, and Wellens reported that the 25-year-old stopper trained poorly on Monday ahead of the trip to Newport – ruling him out of that game as well.

Wellens and Vigouroux have since discussed the issue, where club values were made clear to the former Liverpool stopper.

Wellens said: “I ignored Lawrence (on Monday), I didn’t speak to him.

“I’m happy that he pulled me off the training ground. We had some lunch at the hotel, and I pulled him in for a meeting.

“I told him what I want, and said I have certain values that I will not change for anyone. You have to have honesty and respect at a club.

“When you come in halfway through a season, it is difficult to get your values across to the players – that should be done in pre-season.

“I’m concentrating on getting results and getting a team to play the football that I want.

“But you have to have values. I won’t allow players to not train properly, and then be in the matchday squad.”

And if that means dropping several first-team members, it appears Wellens has prepared himself to do just that.

He added: “If that means dropping five experienced players, then I’m killing myself.

“Lawrence is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. So if Luke goes down, I’m left to put a young goalkeeper that is untried and untested in goal – that will hurt me.

“But I’m not going to take punches from the press or supporters. That’s because I can’t have a goalkeeper that should be an example to people not doing that.

“We’ve had a chat, and I think he’ll learn from it. He can be a really good lad, but he can let his head wonder at times.

“I’m hoping that he gets his head back on and is a good professional and human being, because his attributes as a goalkeeper are there for everyone to see.

“If he can add the other attributes to it, then he will be a first-class person and a first-class professional.”