Billy Kirkman makes changes for big season at Swindon Town

A summer of injuries left Swindon having to trust that players could do a job for them. Louis Millard was called up from the academy to start at Cardiff City and Northampton Town, and Billy Kirkman has stepped into the spotlight at the start of the campaign.

Ian Holloway called his displays in the first two games of the season his best in a Swindon shirt, before winning Man of the Match against Cheltenham Town, a match where he won the most interceptions and tackles of any EFL player in any game this season.

But back in May, it was a mild surprise that he was offered a new contract after a quiet second season in which he started consecutive games just once. But Holloway wanted him to stay, and Kirkman was very happy to be given that chance.

Billy Kirkman goes in for a tackle at Northampton Town (Image: Focus Images)

“I just wanted to play,” he said. “I want to play for Swindon. I want to play for Ian Holloway. I like his ideas of how he wants the players to work and how he wants the team to work together and build connections between the different lines. I knew that I'd get a chance to show what I can do. Staying here was always my priority. Staying and fighting for my spot.”

Kirkman joined from The New Saints, but he was not even a regular there, having spent the previous season with Aberystwyth Town. He was sent out on loan to West-super-Mare upon arrival, but Holloway spotted something in him and quickly recalled him.

He went on to get 16 appearances in that first season and was viewed as someone ready to break out last year, but that never really happened, and he only made 15 appearances, with multiple injuries proving especially disruptive.

“I think I've improved a lot,” he said. “Obviously, we've got a lot of good coaching staff and experienced players that I've learned from over the years, just picked up the little percentages that the players know and the staff know that can just help you out on the pitch.

"Obviously, over the past couple of seasons I've had some unfortunate injuries which have kind of stopped my momentum a little bit, but I've come back fit this year, and I just want to help the team and play as much as I can.”

With last year a bit of a disappointment, this one became hugely important as a chance to stamp his authority on a position where he is the only natural left-back in the squad.

Knowing that he has that chance, Kirkman has been working hard on his fitness and doing extra training to be ready for the season, especially avoiding the injury bug which has beset many of his teammates.

“It is just about doing what I've done over the past few seasons, but just making sure I stay fit,” he said. “Obviously, I want to improve and constantly get better. But I think the past two seasons, I've had times where momentum's just been stopped by injuries back-to-back.

Billy Kirkman plays a ball forward (Image: Andy Crook)

“It's been tough because the way Holloway wants me to play now is a lot of running, up and down, but that's why I like full-back. You do both ends of the pitch, forward, making sure you're getting crossed in the box and then obviously defending, stopping the wingers and stuff like that.

“Some of the running tests we did were really tough, especially the first one, I think I threw up at the end of that. When we were in Spain, that was really tough. Obviously, that's the aim of it, to push your limits, which I think we all definitely did. I have learned to be good at getting sleep and just recovering as much as I can. I didn't really nap before Spain, but I learned to nap very well in Spain because of all the sessions we were doing.”

New coach Dave Carney was a left-back in his playing days, and has been looking to give Kirkman a lot of help, as a player who experienced a lot in a nomadic playing career in which he also played at a World Cup.

One area that has been highlighted has been at the top end of the pitch, and he has been working on ways to become more effective in the opposition’s half. The early signs have been promising, as he got an assist against Bristol City in pre-season and set up a chance that saw Ollie Palmer hit the post against Cardiff.

Billy Kirkman drives beyond a Cardiff City defender (Image: Carlos Green)

As Kirkman looks to lock down his position in the team before others have the chance to try to take it off him, becoming a regular contributor to goals will be key in showing Holloway that his time is now.

“I want to get more goal contributions this year,” he said. “I didn't get a lot of back-to-back games last year where you can build into the season, but I know I can contribute goals and assists going forward. I think I've just not shown that enough yet. It is about having a variation of crosses and making sure that you're in the right positions and that your runs are timed well. If you go in and behind, or if you drop in and then put someone else in, just different stuff like that, you can work on the different variations.

“[Dave Carney] has been really technical with me, and Gav's been a big help as well. He's always getting on to me about stuff that I can improve on and shows me like clips and stuff like that, as well as the gaffer.”