CONNOR Waldon looks set to have a big part to play for Swindon Town in 2014, as manager Mark Cooper tries to make the most of his limited striking options.

Waldon has been recalled from his loan spell at Gloucester City and would have featured in Swindon Town’s clash with Crawley Town on New Year’s Day, had a waterlogged pitch not put paid to the chances of any action at the County Ground.

The teenage frontman has impressed in loan stints at both Gloucester and Frome Town this season and Cooper feels he has earned the right to be considered for selection in the Swindon first team.

“He certainly would have been involved (against Crawley). We’ve always felt that he’s had the potential,” said Cooper.

“He has played at Frome and did well there, he’s gone up another level to Gloucester and become a cult hero there. It’s funny how football is. All of a sudden you get an opportunity, we called him back and he would have been involved but he’ll get his chance before the end of the season.

“Miles (Storey) has tweaked his hamstring so we don’t know how he’s going to be - he did that at Bradford - and with us not having an abundance of strikers and Connor is going to be important to us.”

Meanwhile, Cooper is hoping Dany N’Guessan will quickly rediscover his scoring touch in front of goal as he becomes Town’s only experienced striker this month.

N’Guessan, who has recently recovered from a virus which had him laid low for more than a week, will be expected to lead the line for the Robins while they try to recruit a new number nine following the return of Nicky Ajose to Peterborough and Nile Ranger’s impending departure.

“If we can get him back to how he was before, when he was scoring goals, then he can be very dangerous,” said Cooper.

“He’s a strong boy so hopefully he’ll come back and this extra bit of rest will help make sure he’s completely over it - same as Ryan Harley, Yaser (Kasim), all the boys who have had it.

“We’ve got 10 days before the next game so plenty of things can happen before then.”

Ranger’s representatives will meet club officials next week to discuss the striker’s situation at the club - and Cooper remains immensely frustrated by the 22-year-old’s disciplinary issues.

“We’ve got a meeting next Tuesday where everyone’s available, his representatives, and we will decide what we’re going to do,” he said.

“I’d love Nile to be able to behave like a professional footballer. I feel so sorry for him with the way it’s gone. He’s got all the potential in the world.

“It’s a crying shame that he is the way he is. I don’t think he’ll ever change.”