SWINDON Town club captain Dion Conroy described his relationship with former manager John Sheridan as “toxic” at times and revealed he was not even allowed to see his teammates near the end of the season.

The 25-year-old endured a strange campaign for Town where he did not play a game until early December due to injury, but once he returned to the fold, Conroy played in 19 of the club’s next 20 fixtures.

But after being brought off before the end of a 3-1 home defeat to Gillingham in March, the centre-back never featured in the squad again under either Sheridan or caretaker boss Tommy Wright.

In an honest interview with Swindon Town Official Supporters Club’s Vic Morgan, Conroy said he still has respect for Sheridan but reflected on a poor relationship with his former boss.

Conroy said: “From day one really, I’m not sure we saw eye to eye – more on his behalf.

“I got on with things and worked as hard as I could. Coming back from the injuries, I was desperate to play football.

“It was one of those things where I don’t even think it was the way I played, I think it was on a personal level that he didn’t like me as a person maybe, I’m not sure.

“But it got to a stage in the end where it got quite toxic, even towards the end of the season.

“Just at the end of the season, I got told I wasn’t allowed to be around any of the players.”

The Town captain echoed Tyler Smith’s recent comments where the Sheffield United loanee revealed how Sheridan’s tactical plans did not match the detail of Wellens, and how that was difficult for players to adapt to.

Conroy also said Wellens was very supportive when the 25-year-old was coming back from injury but that he didn’t feel like the same understanding was there with Sheridan.

Conroy said: “It was a very strange relationship, and especially going from someone like Richie (Wellens) who is very detailed in everything he does.

“I think that’s what made him such a great manager – how much he worked on every scenario, how he wanted us to play, working on other team’s faults and trying to exploit them.

“We didn’t really get in all honesty, it was nowhere near, so it went from one end of the spectrum to the other.

“But on a personal note, it was very toxic between me and John Sheridan.

“I’m not quite sure why it went like that – I never got an explanation.”