MATT Preston has promised Swindon Town supporters there is more to him than just defensive defiance as he looks to write a new chapter in his professional career in Wiltshire.

The 22-year-old marked an impressive debut with the man of the match award for his steadfast performance against Cambridge United’s physical frontline at the Energy Check County Ground on Saturday.

The nature of the contest meant the former Walsall man only really had the chance to showcase his rearguard abilities in his first appearance at the County Ground, but the Birmingham-born man believes there are other strings to his bow following his free transfer move until the end of the season.

“I wouldn’t like to label myself, I like to think of myself as a hybrid,’’ Preston said of his style as a defender.

“First and foremost, I’m a defender though - that’s number one. As a centre-back I feel like everyone should be like that but, at the same time, I don’t really want to just keep heading and kicking it.

“If I can bring it down at times (I will). (Cambridge) wasn’t the sort of game where I could do that but in the games where we can I feel like I can do that.’’

Preston had a full pre-season programme with Walsall but departed when the finances were unable to be put in place to keep him at a club for whom he had made more than 40 appearances and jumped at the chance to link up with Town when offered it by boss David Flitcroft.

“I did a full pre-season with Walsall. They said that they wanted to keep me but they didn’t have the budget to do anything for me at the time and we’ve had to go our separate ways," he said.

“I was training with a few clubs and then had a phone call from the gaffer. He said he was interested and would I be interested in coming down and I said: ‘Yeah, definitely’.

“I’ve played against Swindon a few times in the past and always thought they’re a good club and that was one of the persuading factors that brought me here.

“I’ve only been here just over a week but I can already tell, (with) the team that we’ve got and the players that we’ve got, we’ve got enough ability to definitely be in contention for promotion. I feel we’ll get promotion personally.”