THIS week, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill received some extra competition for Swindon Town’s left-back berth but the defender has welcomed Rhys Sharpe’s arrival with open arms.

Alongside James Brophy and new-boy Sharpe, who was announced as an addition to the Town squad on a short-term deal on Tuesday following a successful trial, Ormonde-Ottewill is now one of three players capable of playing on the left flank of Swindon’s back line.

On the same day he was unveiled, former Derby County man Sharpe was handed an immediate start at left-back in a 3-2 defeat to Luton Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, with Ormonde-Ottewill deployed on the right of midfield, however, the 20-year-old believes that being able to operate in unnatural positions is an important strength for himself and his team-mates to have.

“I think competition is key. Every club needs competition, otherwise, I don’t feel it gets the best out of you,” said the Swindon youngster.

“I think you always need someone pushing or someone that you’re looking up to, and more people in your position is going to bring the best out of you – that’s how I feel, anyway.

“I played (on the right wing) once last season against Rochdale. Of course, it was a new position for me and I’m not the most comfortable there but most players now, they have to be quite versatile to do a job for the team, so I try my best and try to do a job for the team.

“The gaffer does put people in different positions to kind of get used to it and try it out.”

After leaving Arsenal’s youth set-up, Ormonde-Ottewill played 30 times for Town last season in his first campaign in senior football and the full-back, who turns 21 later this month, is two matches away from celebrating his 50th game, and feels all the better for the experience he has already accrued at a young age.

He said: “I played 30 games last season – that was my first season, so that was incredible for me, to play get many games and I’m trying to continue that this season and push on.

“There were a lot of things that I had to learn quickly coming straight from U21s into a first team.

“You have to get used to the physicality of the league, the pace of the league, but I think the more times you play, the quicker you pick it up – I think I’ve done that pretty well.

“The more times that you get used to training and playing, the more natural it becomes before going in to a match.”