IN DEPTH WITH...Sam Parkin

Mind you, when you score a hat-trick at the County Ground on debut, the tag starts to fit pretty quickly.

In his three seasons at the club, Parkin’s prodigious scoring record helped establish him as one of the greatest players in Swindon’s recent history.

Super Sammy – as he was swiftly christened by the Town faithful – netted 68 times in 126 league appearances between 2002 and 2005, and it all started with a trio of strikes at home to Barnsley.

“It was an incredible start,” said Parkin.

“Those three goals in my first game helped settle me down as I felt like I belonged straight away and it got everyone on side.

“Not only the supporters but, probably more importantly, the lads as well. If you’ve got the trust and the warmth from your fellow players and staff, that’s such a massive thing.

“If that day never happened, it’s very doubtful I’d be talking to you today.

“The human mind and body is a strange thing and once you get that rhythm of scoring goals, and confidence and belief in you, you can do amazing things.

“That’s what happened that day and it was a major factor in me having such a wonderful three years.”

Parkin had only joined Town a few months previously, with then boss Andy King offering a lifeline to a young striker looking to kick-start his career The then 21-year-old had served his apprenticeship at Chelsea in the Premier League but his game time had been limited to a spate of loan stints around the Football League.

With a return of just five goals in the previous season, few at Town could have predicted just how prolific their new marksman would become.

Parkin said: “I’d had various loan moves and was ready to go and start my career full-time somewhere.

“I spoken to Kilmarnock, who were doing well in the SPL at that time, and that was the other team who I was seriously contemplating joining when I got the phone call from Andy King.

“Initially it was just to come down, have a look around and do a bit of training. There were no guarantees that I was going to be signed long-term.

“I came and hit it off with everyone straight away. I’ve always been a very sociable character and I got on with all the lads and it was a very special group of players at that stage.

“There were probably a few question marks as I hadn’t done fantastically well at Northampton the year before but what I did do was score in pre-season.

“It was only a cheap fee from Chelsea - I think £50,000 - so it wasn’t massive money but there was still expectation.

“The goals started in that opening game with a hat-trick and my confidence was always sky-high. “Every time I went on the pitch, I felt like I was going to score.

“Whenever in my career I’ve felt important and wanted, I’ve played my best football.

“And I had a manager in Andy King who put all his faith in me. If I had a bad game, he knew how to deal with me. He wouldn’t take me out of the team and hammer me, he persevered.

“You want that kind of thing from a manager. You’re not going to be a nine out of 10 every week. There are going to be off-days.”

Super Sammy rounds Mansfield keeper Arjan Van Heusden on October 28, 2002

A big part of Parkin’s success at Swindon was his partnership up top with Tommy Mooney.

The pair played just one season together in 2003-04 but plundered 43 goals between them in all competitions.

Parkin explained: “I think we just both had a real desire and a hunger to score goals, and to be the top goalscorer and best player.

“I’ve spoken a few times about our relationship and it wasn’t a telepathic one and we weren’t always looking for each other on the pitch.

“I really respected him and I think he really did me. I thought he did great for us and he was a great player but we both had a real strong mentality that we were going to be the goalscorer.

“Having two of those in the team meant that if the ball came up, we were good at keeping it in the final third as we were both good with our back to goal. And if the ball came into the box and there were opportunities to be had, we were very clinical.

“Tommy was very single-minded on the pitch and really helped turn us from a mediocre team in the division to one of the top teams.”

Parkin and Mooney’s combined firepower was almost enough to send Swindon up into the second tier, only for them to come up short in agonising fashion.

Having finished fifth in the table, Town’s promotion dream came crashing down in a play-off semi-final penalty shoot-out away at Brighton.

“We gave everything that season and in the play-offs we were just so unfortunate as we were by far the better side,” said Parkin.

“We got undone with a goal in the home leg. We lost 1-0 when we’d absolutely hammered them.

“The away leg was an even game but we managed to get ourselves in front in extra time, but then conceded that ridiculous goal (to Brighton’s Adam Virgo) with the last kick of extra-time.

“It was a sickener. I’ve been fortunate enough to win a couple of medals in my career but that was the one I wanted and would have looked back on with the fondest memories. We were definitely good enough to go up.

“In hindsight, if we’d have kept Tommy the following season, we’d have had another good crack at it. At the time, I didn’t think that was going to be such a big loss but it probably was huge losing him.”

Mooney may have left that summer but Parkin stayed for one more goal-laden season before finally moving up a division to join Ipswich for £550,000 in 2005.

“The ideal scenario for me would have been to go up with Swindon and it was devastating for that not to happen,” said Parkin.

“When the chance came the following season, you have to think that it’s only a short career and you’ve got to go and test yourself and earn a living as well.

“It certainly wasn’t through me angling for a move, it was just that nature had taken its course.

“I had been there three years and given good service and there were a lot of clubs in for me. I think it worked for all parties that I left that summer.”

Sammy surveys a host of pictures taken by Adver photographer Dave Evans in 2003

Including Ipswich, Parkin had spells at eight clubs in England and Scotland after leaving Swindon and finished his career with a one-year spell at Exeter City in League two last season.

Although he played on for a further nine years, injuries gradually took their toll and few could refute that it was the County Ground that saw the very best of Parkin.

Parkin, who turns 34 next month, said: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out by looking at my career stats that my best time was at Swindon in terms of my football and the goals I scored.

“And from a personal point of view, I was happiest when I was at Swindon.

“There is a twinge of regret that I didn’t go on to achieve bigger and better things after I left but those are three years that nobody can take away from me and something that I will always look back on with such affection.”