GOALKEEPER Will Henry has joined National League South neighbours Chippenham Town on a short-term loan deal in what was the only transfer deadline day transaction involving Swindon Town.

Henry, 20, will link up with Mark Collier’s Bluebirds to gain more match experience with Town boss Phil Brown insisting the England U20 gloveman has a future at the County Ground.

Henry, who spent time on loan at Southern League clubs Dunstable Town and Hampton & Richmond last season, is battling Lawrence Vigouroux and veteran Luke McCormick for keeping honours at Town and Brown is determined the youngster will continue his development despite having limited first team opportunities with Town.

Brown, who was unable to add further new faces to his squad as the window shut at 5pm today, told a BBC Wiltshire fans phone-in: “We’ve loaned Will out to Chippenham for, I believe, a month to start with but it could extend.

“When he comes back he’ll have that little bit of experience behind him and hopefully can push for a place in the first team, if not on the bench.

“When I walked into the job, I noticed on the training ground on numerous occasions that Will Henry was, without a doubt, a decent shot-stopper.

“But most goalkeepers are – and you have to get the scars of battle. You have to play games to get them, making decisions behind a back four, coming out for crosses, making the right decisions at the right time.

“He will get that at Chippenham and hopefully come back and we’ll get the benefit of that.

“He’s got a good future ahead of him, but he would have witnessed last year two, if not three, goalkeepers in front of him.

“We’ve brought Luke McCormick in and he (Henry) has probably thought ‘here we go again, I’ve walked into a wall of good goalkeepers in front of me and I’ve got to do something about this.

“We had many a conversation with Will over the summer and certainly bringing in Steve Mildenhall (first team goalkeeping coach) was a key. He has local football knowledge and knows a lot of people in the area.

“The one thing I said to Will was you must come back and train with us on a daily basis with a professional goalkeeper and you will not lose out. It will be short-term (at Chippenham) for Will.’’

Brown will now turn his attention to the loan market for further new recruits after coming up empty while trying to beat the window deadline.

The Town boss revealed his bid to lure striker Alex Jakubiak from Watford had been foiled, with the frontman instead signing for League One outfit Bristol Rovers, while a search to bring in defensive reinforcements was also unsuccessful.

"We’ve still got one Championship striker on the go. We did make a reasonable attempt at Alex Jakubiak , from Watford, but it’s understandable he went to a club in a higher division,'' added Brown.

"That’s why we need to get out of this division. You are at the end of the queue unless you persuade them otherwise. He (Jakubiak) was close to coming but Bristol Rovers came in and took him away from us.

"(Defence) been the toughest part. It seems as though everybody has been chasing centre-backs.

"I wrote down in my own head 22 centre-backs I’ve been chasing. For varying reasons we’ve missed out on them, but there are probably about 17 still at their clubs. I wouldn’t say we won’t be getting any before August 31.

"I’m going to push for an extension to the budget. If I can get the chairman to chip in for one or two defenders and I want another striker. I want competition for places in every position. I want the bench to be strong.''