ONE player sure of his place in the Swindon Town squad for next season is Raphael Branco and he believes if the team learn from their mistakes this season automatic promotion is on the cards.

With all the changes expected at Town over the summer it is unclear yet who will be stepping out for the first game of the season, but Branco hopes the new side can build on the success of this campaign.

The Brazilian is under contract for at least another season at the County Ground and, as one of the more permanent fixtures at the club, will be hoping to build on his first full season in professional English football.

Branco understands it is likely to be another summer of flux on the playing side at Swindon, but having been through one last summer he sees no reason for ambitions to be dimmed.

“Probably a lot of players are going to change over the summer but I am going to come back for next season,” he told the Adver.

“We have a young squad and have to come back for next season and try to do the things we did right the same, then make some changes.

“We need to think about what we have done wrong this season because we need to come back stronger and we need to do what we didn’t do this season.

“Next season we need to do everything we can do to secure automatic promotion.

“We can always learn, especially in these occasions when you lose a game like that.

“We will be coming back next season and going all out for automatic promotion.”

Branco made 33 appearances in first full season with Town and signed a new contract in January. As an unused substitute in the play-off final defeat at Wembley the 24-year-old saw enough to suggest the young team will learn from the heartache and come back stronger for it.

“I think Preston deserved to win, they played better than us all season but I am just disappointed with how we lost,” he added.

“It just really hurts when you think about everything we have done this season.

“It is hard when you are on the bench. You want to be involved to help your mates and it really hurt because I couldn’t do anything.

“There is nothing we can do now and we just have to look forward to next season.”