Tim Sherwood outlines ambition of progressing Swindon Town

Newly-appointed Director of Football Tim Sherwood firmly believes there is a bright future for Swindon Town and he wants to get fans on side with the football club again.

Sherwood, who is on non-contract terms with the Wiltshire club, does not let that fact of him not being officially employed by the club deter him as he set a clear vision for the near future of the football club.

The ex-Tottenham and Aston Villa manager has had close ties with chairman Lee Power for over two decads now and, since Power became chairman, Sherwood has regularly been seen at Robins matches.

While he was Spurs manager he loaned a number of players, including Massimo Luongo, Nathan Byrne and Alex Pritchard to Swindon and has said he has developed a soft spot for the side currently in the bottom four of League One.

"I like this club, I have a soft spot for it," he began.

"They are a club who developed a lot of Tottenham players who have gone on to big-money moves.

"It has been a fantastic stepping stone (for players such as) Ryan Mason (and) Alex Pritchard. Even Kevin Stewart was here and now he is at Liverpool – it has been fantastic for them."

The philosophy of Swindon Town to loan and buy young players with the aim of selling them on for high profit has attracted critisism from supporters.

Sherwood is adamant that that is the right thing to do, but he is also aware that the club needs to progress along with doing that.

"It is ok to develop individual players and we will continue to do that but it is important to develop the football club.

"I said to Lee ‘we need to try and move it on’. Obviously we need to be financially stable. I have known Lee a long time and he is still quite tight, he has always been that way, that is never going to change.

"I think he is sensible enough to do it the right way. We see so many football clubs with their throats cut and look like they are going out of business every month, no-one wants that to happen, the fans do not want that, we do not want that.

"But we do want to progress and we do want to move it on – I think this is a great opportunity for me to get back on the training field and into football and it is a fantastic opportunity. I just think we need everyone in Swindon, this whole community, on side.

We need people to come back through the gates. I think that will help the players who need to play with confidence and we need to get back to a no fear of losing, I think at times we are a little scared of losing football matches.

"I would not worry about losing, it is not the end of the world. We need to start climbing up the table and who knows where it could take us?"

Swindon's next match is at home to Charlton Athletic on Saturday afternoon (12pm kick-off).