With many clubs having announced their retained lists, there are plenty of former Swindon Town favourites looking for a new club this summer.
Swindon fans are always excited by the prospect of ex-players making a return, so let’s take a look at which players will be on the market this summer.
John Bostock
Although he was not a Swindon player for very long, Bostock made his debut at Wembley in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final and was part of Paolo Di Canio’s league winners. He has had a very nomadic career, playing in England, France, Belgium, Turkey, and Canada. He has just left Notts County having helped them back into League Two and then being a regular tempo-setter for them last season.
Fankaty Dabo
Less than a year on from missing the decisive penalty in the Championship playoff final, Dabo found himself released by Forest Green Rovers after their relegation from League Two. The right-back played 15 times for Town on loan back in 2017 as they were relegated from League One.
Jordon Garrick
Another former loanee who is looking for a new club having left Forest Green following their drop out of the Football League. The now 25-year-old scored two goals in his 15 games under John Sheridan for Swindon but netted seven times in a struggling side last campaign.
Grant Hall
It has now been 11 years since Hall got his first true taste of Football League football under Mark Cooper at Swindon. He has gone on to become a regular Championship defender, with spells at Birmingham City, Blackpool Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough, and Rotherham United, where he recently departed.
Rob Hunt
The first true fan favourite on this list, Hunt spent three years at the County Ground and was an extremely consistent performer across each of those campaigns. He won the league under Richie Wellens, with whom he reunited at Leyton Orient, where he has spent the last two seasons. He played 35 times in League One last season but has been allowed to leave.
Diallang Jaiyesimi
One of Hunt’s teammates is also available. Jaiyesimi was a revelation in attack for Swindon and was arguably their best player in League One before his shocking deadline day move to Charlton in January 2021. His time at the Valley has not been as happy, only making more than 15 times in one of his four seasons. Following loan spells with AFC Wimbledon and St Johnstone, he has been let go by Charlton.
Sean Morrison
Morrison is another throwback Swindon defender to have been let go by Steve Evans this summer. After finishing his academy journey at Town and then becoming a stand-out player alongside Charlie Austin in the side that would go on to get relegated, he headed to Reading in January 2010. After time with the Royals and Huddersfield Town, he went on to play almost 300 times for Cardiff City, but he has departed after one season at Rotherham.
Jack Payne
Payne’s season is still going as he continues in the playoffs with Milton Keynes Dons, but Charlton have already announced his time there is over. Payne was a standout in the 2020/21 League One relegation and then a core part of Ben Garner’s playoff semi-finalists the next year before following his manager to Charlton. He fell out of favour after Garner left and headed to Milton Keynes on loan where he has recaptured his form, but he will be clubless whatever happens in the playoffs.
Liam Ridehalgh
One of many Di Canio-era short loans, spending two months with Town before being moved up to League One by his parent club Huddersfield. He has become a lower-league stalwart since then, predominantly with Tranmere Rovers and more recently Bradford City, where he just left after three seasons.
Ben Tozer
Another Plymouth-born Swindon academy graduate who has gone on to great things. He has only made two senior Swindon appearances before being whisked off to Newcastle United. He spent time at Northampton Town, Yeovil Town, and Newport County before captaining Cheltenham Town to League One. Tozer then dropped down to captain the Disney ship from the National League to League One but was their most profile departure upon promotion.
Lewis Ward
It has only been four months since Ward made his second Swindon departure and he is available once again. He initially joined under Garner as the understudy to Jojo Wollacott but had highlight moments against Forest Green and Manchester City. He finished that season as the number one but ended up leaving for Sutton United after Sol Brynn supplanted him in goal. His time in South-West London only lasted half a season and he ended up rejoining Town last summer before leaving again, this time for Charlton, once Jack Bycroft signed in January.
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