WITH Swindon Town skipper Nathan Thompson having joined League One club Portsmouth yesterday, AdverSport have a look back at his career at the County Ground.

The Cheshire-born defender signed his first professional deal at the County Ground in April 2009 at the age of 18, having come through the youth academy at Swindon.

However, it was prior to this that he got his first taste of the professional game when Maurice Malpas put him on the bench for the last game of the 2007/08 season, at the end of his first year as a scholar.

Thompson was also catching the eye further afield as the then full-back was reportedly being courted by the likes of Arsenal.Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson as a scholar for the club

However, he opted to commit his immediate future to the Wiltshire club and was soon reaping the rewards as he was immediately included in the club’s pre-season tour of Austria under the watchful eye of Danny Wilson.

Swindon Advertiser:
Town training in Austria, July 2009, - The defensive wall of (l-r) Peter Shirtliff, Craig Easton, Nathan Thompson and Alan O'Brien prepare to face a free-kick

Thompson featured on the bench 11 times that campaign but it wasn’t until the season after that he got handed his first minutes on the County Ground pitch as he replaced an injured Scott Cuthbert in the 27th minute of the Football League Trophy win over Torquay on October 5.

Thompson’s first start in a Town shirt was not one to brag about as alongside a defence of Paul Caddis, Sean Morrison and Scott Cuthbert, Swindon slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Charlton Athletic.

Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson's first full 90 minutes for Swindon Town

Thompson went on to feature twice more that season and only featured seven times in the following campaign in League Two under Paolo Di Canio, having suffered with a knee injury that kept him sidelined and behind captain Paul Caddis.

However, it was during the 2012/13 campaign that Thompson made his mark on the side, featuring 29 times for the club as he went on to claim the Swindon Advertiser Player of the Season trophy for his efforts.

Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson in action at the County Ground

Thompson didn’t start a league game until the middle of September as initially Joe Devera took over from departed captain Caddis, but he caught the eye with his tough tackling and no-nonsense style and despite ending the season with an ankle injury, claimed 60 per cent of the fans’ vote.

Having signed a new two-year contract that summer, despite interest from several teams in the Championship, Thompson was now the longest serving player at the club at the age of 22 and another Player of the Season trophy followed in 2013/14, a campaign where he also netted his first goal for the club against Gillingham.

Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson with his Swindon Advertiser Player of the Season trophy

Thompson was first handed the skipper’s armband during a 1-0 defeat at home to Oldham Athletic on Saturday, February 1, after club captain Darren Ward was substituted at half time, a moment that he said at the time ‘brought a lump to his throat’.

That summer, with interest growing again from other clubs, Mark Cooper made Thompson his club captain.

Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson shown red against Yeovil Town, a decision Mark Cooper questioned

Despite his early disciplinary problems that campaign, picking up his fourth red card in just 19 games, he guided his side to the play-off finals with some memorable moments along the way, including his celebration following a 1-0 home win over Bristol City that prompted a number of travelling fans to complain to the police.

Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson celebrated following the 1-0 win at home against Bristol City

However, Thompson picked up a ruptured ankle ligament injury in a 1-0 home win over Fleetwood Town and then following a thigh injury sustained in a 4-1 Boxing Day win over Walsall, spent the rest of the campaign in a constant battle to prove his fitness.

Having sat out two of the last three games of the season, with a play-off berth confirmed, Thompson was forced from the pitch with a grade two hamstring tear in the second leg against Sheffield United.

He faced a momentous battle to be fit enough to lead his side out at Wembley in the final but within minutes a ball over the top left him struggling for pace with Jermaine Beckford and in the process of bringing the forward to the ground, he caused himself more damage.

As Preston took the lead, Thompson was left in a heap at the back post and was stretchered from the pitch in tears as Swindon went on to lose the game 4-0.

Swindon Advertiser:
Thompson salutes the crowd following the play-off final defeat

In the wake of Town’s failed bid to make it to the Championship, there was a mass exodus of the big-name players including the likes of Massimo Luongo, Wes Foderingham and Nathan Byrne but Thompson vowed to stay and the club that gave him his chance.

However, with Town struggling at the lower echelons of League One, it wasn’t much better for Thompson who continued to be plagued with injury, a recurrence of his groin injury forcing him off against Southend United which kept him out for much of the first half of the season.

In what was now his final year of his contract, Thompson refused to speak further about his future at the club as, under the guidance of Luke Williams, the captain was focussed on hauling Swindon away from the drop zone.

But, having suffered a freak foot injury against MK Dons, he was unable to steer Swindon to safety as relegation loomed.

Thompson was clearly distressed as he finished the season in a leg brace with the curtain coming down on his time in Wiltshire as he did a lap of the County Ground following the defeat to Scunthorpe United at the County Ground after confirmation of the club’s relegation.

Swindon Advertiser:
Nathan Thompson leaves the County Ground pitch after relegation was confirmed against Scunthorpe