NICKY Ajose has hailed ‘Premier League’ quality Luke Williams for playing a key role in his development ahead of a meeting with former employers Swindon Town.

Having joined Peterborough in 2011 from Manchester United, the 23-year-old struggled to find a team having four different loan spells before being shipped off to Town for the start of the 2013/14 campaign.

In his time at the County Ground Ajose began to impress, scoring six goals in his 16 appearances during his six month stay.

Ajose returned to Peterborough last January before moving to Leeds United in the summer and has said Williams, who was linked with a move to Tim Sherwood’s backroom staff at Aston Villa, is good enough to coach in the Premier League.

“It (Town stint) was great for my development,” he told the Swindon Advertiser.

“The manager, Mark Cooper, took me at a difficult point in my career and showed faith in me. I went there and I did well.

“On the training field, I felt I improved massively in the six months I was working with Luke Williams.

“It wasn’t just on the field and my performance on a Saturday or Tuesday, it was my overall game moving forward because of the training I was getting every day.

“He is probably the best coach I have worked with. He can easily work at the top level, he is that good.

“The longer Swindon can keep him at the club the better because it is as good as having a top 15 goal a season striker. That is how good he is and all the players respect him.

“It was just little things like if I went to speak to him and said ‘Luke what do you think about this’ he would sit down and go into detail about it and he would work with you after training.

“It is just having that positive attitude and positive thinking. He was just a good mentor to have.”

This is the second time Ajose has played against Swindon since leaving the County Ground, having featured in Peterborough’s 2-1 loss at the County Ground just days after departing.

The striker is relishing playing against old friends but will be hoping for a different outcome.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he added. “It will be nice to see a few old faces but I know how good a side Swindon are and it will be difficult for ourselves in the position we’re in.

“Once you get over the white line it is just like any other game but it is nice to do well against your former club.”