David Flitcroft believes the mindset of Swindon Town midfielder Conor Thomas is changing

The mindset of Conor Thomas is changing, according to his manager, David Flitcroft.

Thomas arrived at Swindon on July 4 last summer, and he signed a three-year contract at the club, but had a difficult first year at Town, as he suffered relegation from League One.

In his debut year in Wiltshire, Thomas was deployed in all sorts of positions, from his natural centre midfield, to centre back, right-back and even on the wing.

Although just pre-season, Thomas has made a good start to his second season at Swindon though, as he has scored three goals in the first two warm-up friendlies Town have played this summer.

He only scored one goal all season last year, a 90th-minute winner at home, against Millwall.

His versatility may have been a poison chalice last campaign, but his new manager, David Flitcroft thinks the best might be about to come from the 23-year-old.

"Conor is someone from day one I wanted to work with," Flitcroft said.

"I told him that from day one. The big thing for me from Conor was: there is no restrictions in football, take the handbrake off and every day we're lucky to be doing what we're doing.

"I've always felt that about football and I'm trying to express it onto this group - don't waste any time. Don't waste any time in football.

"I think his mindset is changing. There's a calmness to him when he gets into the opposition's box. He's got lovely feet, he's got real soft feet to be able to finish and you've got to have a real composed head when you're in those situations and Conor certainly displays that.

"I think that he probably wasn't allowed to get forward as much as he probably can, but on the running stats he's phenomenal.

"He's the fittest player at the club, his stats, his data, backs that up. I'm proving to him that he can do it and go again and recover.

"He'll cause people problems because it's difficult to track that late run at times."