SWINDON Town appear to have filled their goalkeeping coach vacancy with former loan player Paul Crichton.

With Alan McLoughlin also set to take over the U18s role, 47-year-old Crichton will replace Steve Hale, who left the club for National League side Forest Green Rovers last month.

According to reports, Crichton, who was last employed as goalkeeping coach at Queens Park Rangers before his release in January, was on the sidelines during Town’s pre-season win over Shelbourne in Ireland last night.

However, the club have yet to announce any official confirmation of his appointment as part of head coach Luke Williams’ backroom team.

Crichton started as a trainee at Nottingham Forest and played for 23 different clubs during a career that spanned 25 years and included a loan spell at the County Ground in 1987 when he played four games after being signed by Lou Macari to replace Tim Flowers, following his move to Southampton.

The former Burnley and Grimsby Town stopper moved into coaching in 2006 when he joined Cambridge United as a player-coach, playing 32 games.

Crichton has been a coach at Brighton and Hove Albion and Sheffield United since, with his most recent role coming at Loftus Road when he joined Chris Ramsey’s backroom staff.

He left QPR in January this year, shortly after the arrival of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and Town boss Williams believes he has a good track record of developing goalkeepers.

“The goalkeeping coach will be somebody who has worked with top goalkeepers and has experience of developing players,” said Williams following Town’s 6-0 pre-season friendly win over Swindon Supermarine on Saturday.