Thompson has fond memories of Swindon ahead of clash with MK Dons
The 35-year-old name nearly 200 times for tonight’s opponents
Defender Nathan Thompson holds fond memories of his time at Swindon Town as he looks set to lead MK Dons against his old club on Tuesday night.
The 35-year-old played just shy of 200 games for the Robins in a ten-year spell at the County Ground, captaining the side before departing for Portsmouth in 2017.
After spells at Peterborough and Stevenage since, Thompson is set to be one of the senior players in tonight’s Vertu Trophy game against Ian Holloway’s side at Stadium MK, knowing the visitors need to win by two goals to qualify for the next round, while for Dons it is a dead rubber.
“Swindon are a club I am fond of,” he said. “I spent a lot of time there, it’s a club I will always look out for. There have not been many opportunities for me to have played against them over the years, but I look forward to the game.
“These games are really important. It’s a blend of first-team players coming back from injury and trying to get minutes to impress and showcase what you’re about, and then the younger lads coming in as well.
“There isn’t anything on it for us but that can take the pressure off the young lads to show what they’re about, and to experience what it is like in this environment.”
As one of the senior heads, Thompson led a young side last time out in the 1-0 defeat to Reading - a game which featured 12 academy products at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
While Paul Warne is set to name a slightly stronger side against Swindon, with first-team players returning to fitness, Thompson said the opportunity for the academy players to shine is not one they can take lightly.
He said: “You could tell from the Reading game some of the qualities the young players had, the character they had, they dug in and it was unfortunate how it ended in the end.
“I enjoy seeing the younger lads develop. Jack Burke, who replaced me at Reading, is only 16 so when he was born, I was already playing at this level! It’s crazy how quickly time goes. But it’s great to see these lads getting the opportunity to prosper and I look forward to leading them.”