Harrison Minturn said that his role within the Swindon Town squad was helping him to adapt to the rigours of playing professional football.

The 19-year-old defender has made two starts in League Two this term and come off the bench on six occasions in a season that has been characterised by him having to be ready when called upon. This was showcased when he was brought on for the last 40 minutes at Salford City after Tom Brewitt was forced off early in the second half with a concussion.

Against Harrogate Town, Minturn made his second league start of the season, the sixth of his career, and was locked in a physical battle with Samuel Folarin throughout the afternoon.

Minturn revealed after the final whistle that he had learned he would be starting at the EnviroVent Stadium on the afternoon of the game.

He said: “I knew about two hours before kick-off [against Harrogate] that I was going to start.

“It is not ideal, but it is what we prepare for all week, and you have to come in when you are playing, and you have to show what you are about.

“You can’t just come in and be shell-shocked about it, you have to come in and show that you are ready to start, or the opportunity passes.

“I don’t really mind [knowing or not knowing], it comes either way and if you know leading up, obviously you get preparation but then sometimes it is nice to know just before kick-off so then you don’t really panic.”

This season has been the first that Minturn has started fully in the first-team squad, and whilst he admitted that being in and out of the team would not have been what he would have chosen, he felt like he was learning a lot about being a footballer.

The defender said that he feels the experience has been something of a crash course in professional football as he has had to learn to be ready to play whenever the chance arrives.

He said: “It is a hard one to deal with [being in and out of the team], but I think that as a professional footballer, you have to be ready for anything.

“You have to be ready for a change in environment, a change in settings, it happens, and you just have to be ready to go out there and perform.”