PHILLIP DeFreitas is hopeful that he can help get Swindon cricketers a foot in the door at county level.

The former England international was as named the new head coach at the County Ground yesterday and the 50-year-old has already been in contact with Hampshire’s head coach Craig White.

While the conversation was more about trying to ensure that Swindon-born batsman Jake Goodwin will be able to play for his hometown club when available, DeFreitas is hopeful that if there are any emerging talents at the West of England Premier League outfit, he can get them noticed in the first-class game.

“If we have a player that is outstanding, I can pick the phone up and say (to a county): ‘we’ve got so and so and I’d like you to have a look at him’. I would personally take that player there,” DeFreitas said.

“I think if I believe in this kid, or girl, (and they) have the ability, and I think if I made the call, then I’d like to think that I would be taken a bit more seriously.”

The former Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lancashire seamer, who says that he will not be playing this season so that he can focus on his coaching, is hopeful that by him being head coach at Swindon, it will help persuade neighbouring first-class counties, such as Hampshire and Gloucestershire, to send their young players out to get senior experience.

“We have got Jake Goodwin at Hampshire and I have already spoken to Craig White about it,” DeFreitas said.

“I have said that he will have a good set-up here, he’ll get the practice that he is used to at county (level), this is his club and when he is available, we would like him to play here.”

With DeFreitas stepping out in his first head coach role, he admits that one day, he would like to return to the county circuit, having worked as a bowling coach at Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

“Do I want to coach a county? Of course I do. But there are only a certain amount jobs that are available,” he said.

“You apply for county jobs and a lot of it sometimes is done in-house.

“If I do a wonderful job (here), who knows? You never know. Doing a great job here can only boost my CV.

“It is an opportunity (for me) and I want to do well and (then), word will get around that I’m doing a good job.”